


She Made The Wish

by scarlettsoldier



Series: Works of Fate Series [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bisexual Bucky Barnes, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Steve Rogers, F/F, F/M, Kidnapping, M/M, Multi, OT3, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-OT3, Thor Is Not Stupid, Tony is suspicious, fuck it, this is an ot3 fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2018-04-08
Packaged: 2018-07-19 10:57:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 76,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7358464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarlettsoldier/pseuds/scarlettsoldier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"When you were little, what did you do when you saw a shooting star?"  " Easy- I made a wish."</p><p>Ophelia Elise Martin has always wished that she could escape from her life.  It wasn't that she had a bad life- on the contrary it was quite ordinary.  But do we ever really want to be just ordinary?  No- that's why every time she looks at the night sky she wishes to the stars.  She wishes for a better life where she will adventure and explore anywhere and everywhere.  But does she really know what this will cost her?</p><p>What happens when her wish actually comes true?  What you wish for is not always what you want.</p><p>**</p><p>Or, in which a girl enters the world of her dreams.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Ophelia derives from the ancient Greek language, meaning ‘help’. Yet Ophelia doesn’t feel like she is doing much of anything for anyone at the moment. She was just like you and I, waiting for the day that she finally got a taste of adventure.   
***  
“Ophelia Elise Martin! Get down here right now!” ‘Shit’ Ophelia thought to herself as she sat nestled under a blanket. She clutched the book in her hand tighter, wishing that she wouldn’t have to move from her place. ‘Do I stay or do I go?’ As her mother let out another holler up the stairs Ophelia rolled her eyes and threw the blanket off of her body after placing a bookmark in her book. She didn’t want to feed yet another tirade of her mothers just because she wanted to lazily stay in her happy place. It was a steal that her mother let her have the window seat room as a bedroom in the first place- ‘I better not push it’ she thought to herself.  
“Yes mom?” She ran through her room and to the top of the staircase.  
“Did you know that Sebastian Stan died?”  
She felt her body go faint as she exclaimed a loud “No way!” There was no way that her favorite actor of all time was dead. That would be like of Tom Hiddleston or Scarlett Johansson died.  
“Yeah, you’re right- I was kidding. I just wanted to get your attention, but I’ll let you catch your breath first.”  
She felt her heart beat normally again after a minute with the knowledge that Sebastian was, in fact, still alive. “Mom, you jerk!”  
“Oh honey, I you know I love your terms of endearment.” Her mother laughed and shifted her weight onto her other foot. “Anyways, I just wanted to tell you that the Larsons’ are coming over for dinner tonight. Wear something cute please!” Ophelia groaned and rolled her eyes at this- she thought she had escaped the not-so-great family dinners after she got out of high school, but no. She still had to sit through the agonizing two hour long dinners with her two snooty neighbors and their frat boy son- who, by the way, probably had five brain cells total. “But at least Sebastian isn’t dead- compared to that the dinner isn’t so bad, is it?”  
‘Curse you, mother. Curse you!’ “I guess, whatever. Talk to you in a bit!” With that Ophelia ran back into her room and nearly slammed the door shut behind her. She slid down the door, banging her head purposefully as she went. She hated the Larson family with a passion. Every time they came over to the house they started sharing their racist and homophobic opinions- quite loudly, I might add- with her family. Now, Ophelia’s family was fine dealing with these annoying topics, but it rubbed her the wrong way too much. She couldn’t stand sitting through their rants about why ‘women should not be in the workplace’ and why ‘marriage should only be between a man and a woman’. Ophelia swore that she would ‘accidentally’ start strangling them one day when she’d had enough.  
After sitting against the door and sulking for a few more minutes, she got up and walked to her closet. ‘Should I wear a dress or a nice blouse and skirt?’ she thought to herself. If she wore a dress, she could wear a cute purple one with lace sleeves, or her Captain America dress of course. She laid them both out on her bed, eyeing them both. She made a noise of disapproval and moved on to her blouses and skirts. She could wear a nice black blouse with a pretty floral skirt, or she could wear the black blouse with her Marvel Comics skirt. ‘I wonder if they know I like Marvel’ she thought jokingly to herself. Of course they knew that- everyone knew that about her.  
What gave her away, you might ask? Well, it could have been all of the Marvel posters in her room, or it could have been the giant stacks of comics that she kept on her bookshelf. Maybe it was the fact that she had at least five Marvel-related shirts and the Captain America dress. Maybe it was the fact that her laptop was covered in their stickers, or maybe it was the fact that she talked about Marvel all the time with her friends. Or the fact that she even had flowerpots with each Avenger’s symbol on it was a bit much, but she loved plants. She wondered what would have given her away- first- to her peers.  
After pacing her room back and forth several times, she finally decided. “Okay, I will wear the pretty black lacy blouse because it’s adorable, and I’ll wear the Marvel skirt because I love it.”   
“Honey!” Her mother shouted up to Ophelia in her room.  
“Yeah ma?” Ophelia yelled back.  
“Are you talking to yourself again?” Her mother paused for a moment. “You know that isn’t good for you!”  
“Mom!” Her cheeks turned bright red as she whined back, now embarrassed for narrating herself while she was picking out her clothes. ‘I’m sure it’s not that bad for me. Doesn’t everyone do it?’ She thought to herself as she changed into the new outfit.   
Before long the doorbell was ringing, signalling the moment that Ophelia was dreading. She sighed silently to herself, preparing for the worst. She glanced in her mirror one last time before she left her room, smoothing her skirt and combing her fingers through her hair. If she was going to go through hell for the oncoming few hours, she would look good while doing it.  
“Hello Mrs. and Mr. Larson! It’s so nice to see you!” She said as she reached the bottom of the stairs before leaning in to hug Mrs. Larson. Next she gave Mr. Larson a firm handshake and a bright smile, faking her enthusiasm easily.  
“Oh honey, how many times have I told you to call us Diana and John?”  
“At least once more, Mrs. Larson,” She replied smoothly before sliding over to their son. “Riley, always a pleasure.” Ophelia held out her hand for him to shake, and he looked at like it was the most disgusting thing he’d seen.   
“The pleasure is all mine, Oafy.” He finally grasped her hand and shook it quickly before moving away from her again. She frowned at the nickname he gave her, she thought he would have at least grown out of name calling after two years at college. Apparently not.  
Ophelia looked over to their parents conversing behind her. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?” She gave him a sarcastic smile as she turned on her heel and walked towards the kitchen, her brown hair billowing behind her. She could feel Riley's gaze on her back but pretended not to notice.   
After a few more minutes of surprisingly nice small talk with Riley, Ophelia and the rest of the group finally took their seats at the table to eat. She made amends that she’d have to sit next to Riley, hoping that no shenanigans would ensue. She’d occasionally throw in a comment here and there as the dinnertime conversation went on, but wasn't paying much attention to them otherwise. That was, until she heard her name being mentioned in their conversation.   
“Oh yes, Ophelia has been attending the University of Boston for the past few years.” Her mother took a sip of her wine before continuing. “She loves it there- I don’t know why though. It would be a bit too loud for me, personally.”  
“I wouldn’t be able to handle it either, to be quite honest. I don’t think I’d ever be able to live there- it’s a bit too left wing for me anyways.” She internally groaned at Mrs. Larson’s reference to politics. ‘Here it goes…’ She thought to herself. At that point in time, Ophelia wished she her birthday was sooner than it’s date a week away- at least then she would be able to legally drink from the wine bottle a foot in front of her. Oh, how it was calling her name, tempting her to take a sip to take her troubles away.  
‘Oh well.’ She thought to herself before tuning back into the conversation. “I think Donald Trump would be a wonderful president, Susan.” Mrs Larson said to Ophelia’s mother, after which she and her mother shared a knowing look. Ophelia and her mother were both liberale- but they were polite liberals. She described it as being a person that ‘listens to others’ shitty opinions and pretends to care’.   
“Mom, I don’t think we should talk about politics as the table.” Never in her life had Ophelia been more happy to hear Riley’s voice. There was a collective sigh from the rest of the members at the table, from all except Mrs. Larson, of course. No matter how much he used to bother her, in that moment she was extremely thankful for his interjection. The conversation stayed far away from politics for the rest of the night.  
“Ophelia, why don’t you take Riley up to your room for a bit while while we talk down here, alright?” Ophelia’s eyes pleaded to her mother's for a moment, to no avail. She sighed and motioned for Riley to follow her up the stairs. She left her bedroom door open after they walked in, an extra precaution so that no funny business would ensue. That was the last thing she wanted- she shivered at the thought.  
“Nice room- I never knew you liked Marvel.” Riley said, adding a hint of sarcasm with the Marvel remark.   
“Ha ha ha, you’re so funny.” She laughed back, sitting down on her pre-made bed.   
“No, but all jokes aside, I do think Marvel is pretty great.” He trailed off, and Ophelia took a moment to process. Was he being… nice? Never in her life had she ever heard anything remotely kind come out of his mouth- and she’d heard a lot of things come out of his mouth over the years they were in school together.  
“You really think so?”  
“Really, really.”  
“Well, thanks, I guess.” She wasn’t used to people complimenting her on her interest in Marvel. Jokes, mockery, even the occasional slur- sure, she’d heard it all. But kind words? She didn’t have the first clue how to respond to his positive words.  
“I always liked Captain America growing up. He’d always seemed so noble to me.”  
She smiled at his attempt to talk to her; at least he was trying to be kind after all the years he teased her. “I was always more of a Bucky girl myself, but Steve was my first superhero so he’ll always have a special place in my heart.”  
Though he was turned away from her, examining one of her posters, she could see the corners of his lips turned up. “Bucky, eh? Wasn’t he a trained assassin or something?”  
“Well, yeah,” She responded quickly, “but he was never a bad person. It was Hydra that made him bad- that’s all. He was redeemed in the comics- I can’t wait to see what they do in Civil War!”  
“Me too man, me too. I have to admit, I am sort of excited to see T’Challa kick Bucky’s ass though. I mean have you seen the actor that plays T’Challa?”  
“Yeah, I’ll admit he is pretty good looking. Though I wish they would all just stop fighting.”   
‘I wish I could stop their fighting...’  
“I sort of think they need to get this over with- to get all the angst out of their systems. They can’t be a good team if there is an underlying problem.   
“True, true. But I don’t like seeing all of them fighting.” She frowned at the thought of all her favorite people hurting each other. “None of them deserve this pain: not Bucky, not Steve, not Tony- none of them do. Everyone has made their mistakes, so why can’t they just agree and move on?”  
At this point Ophelia was just surprised that Riley was immersing himself in an actual conversation with her. She honestly didn’t think he had it in him- ‘I guess he has changed since high school.’ she mused.  
For the rest of the night they chatted about how their college lives were, how they were enjoying it, and what their majors were. It turned out that he had also been attending school in Massachusetts, only a few hours away from her Boston college. While she enjoyed living the city life and sights, he preferred a smaller campus nestled in the mountains. She respected his decision, but she didn’t think she’d be able to live rurally for a while- spending eighteen years in the suburbs could do that to a person.   
“Ophelia, Riley- come down please! It’s time for Riley to go home!” Ophelia’s mother’s voice rang through the house. She gave Riley a slight smile as she waited for him to pass through her doorway before following behind him. Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all. She admitted to herself that she might have been judging him too harshly before; maybe she just didn’t give him a chance to prove himself.  
Ophelia halted at the bottom of the stairs, watching as Mr. Larson ruffled his son’s hair. “Well, it’s time for us to be off!”   
“It’s always nice to see you three!” her mother replied happily.  
“It’s always a pleasure to have you over, Mr. and Mrs. Larson!” Ophelia replied happily.  
“Thank you so much for having us! Goodnight!” Mrs. Larson replied as she gave Ophelia a small hug. As she was being embraced, Ophelia caught Riley’s eye and smiled, glad to make his acquaintance.  
***  
Ophelia had always loved the sky. Ever since she was little she had grown a fondness of looking to the heavens. Sometimes she would make wishes on all the stars she could see, and other times she would talk to them, pretending the shining balls of light were her friends. Occasionally she’d sit in silence, watching them cross the sky peacefully. So as she looked out the window of the plane on her ride back to Boston airport, a smile grew on her face as she saw the stars. She was always awed by the beauty of the night, even when she was used to the sights outside of the airplane. She looked to her side after a moment, glancing at the child in the seat next to her- Sarah was her name. Her mother couldn’t get their seats together, but to calm the mother’s anxieties Ophelia chatted with the mother before the plane took off, ensuring that her child was in responsible, caring hands.  
“Excuse me miss ’Lia, I have to go to the bathroom.” Sarah turned to her, an urgent look on her face. Ophelia glanced up to check to see if the ‘fasten your seatbelts’ light was on- it wasn’t- before nodding to the little girl.  
“I’ll come with you- I have to go too anyways.” She replied, unfastening her seatbelt before doing the same to Sarah’s. She slowly stood up and stretched her muscles before taking Sarah’s hand, heading to the back of the plane. The pair stood outside the bathroom door, waiting patiently for their turn.   
Before long, the vacancy sign turned green and a man in his early forties walked out and back to his seat. “Okay Sarah, I’ll be right out here for you. Knock on the door if you need any help.” Sarah nodded her head before disappearing into the small bathroom.  
As soon as the door closed, Ophelia heard footsteps behind her. “Ophelia? Is that you?”  
Ophelia turned on her heel, a smile spreading on her face. “No way- Riley?” She gave the tall blonde a small hug, glad to see a familiar face in a plane full of strangers.  
“I’m guessing your spring break is over too?”  
“Sadly, yes. I’m guessing we are both returning to school?”  
“Unfortunately, yes. I’m sort of looking forward to seeing my friends again though. It was a long break without them.”  
“I feel that,” Ophelia replied, thinking of all her wonderful friends from her college. “I’m definitely happy to see my friends again. Speaking of, it’s so nice to see you!”  
He ran a hand through his hair, blushing a bit from her warm personality. “It’s nice to see you too. It’s too bad we weren’t able to hang out more over break.” He trailed off, mumbling towards the end.  
Ophelia smiled, glad that her presence was appreciated. “Excuse me, what was that?”  
“I said you’re cool… to hang out with, I mean.”  
“Why thank you, you-”  
Suddenly the plane shook, and Riley nearly toppled over before Ophelia caught his arm. “Thanks.”  
“Passengers, we will be facing quite a bit of turbulence. Please fasten your seatbelts.” The pilot’s voice sounded calm, but a feeling in Ophelia’s gut told her otherwise.  
“Aw, that’s too bad. I sort of needed to go to the bathroom. Oh well.” Riley looked at her, gesturing for her to follow. “Come on, I’ll walk you back to your seat.”  
“Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m waiting for-” The plane shook harder this time, following a large clap of thunder. A yelp sounded from inside the bathroom. “Sarah, you okay in there?” Ophelia received a muffled ‘yes’ before the door unlocked and slid open.  
“Excuse me, you three should really return to your seats- I insist.” A stewardess called the trio out, worried for their wellbeing. The last thing the airline needed was an injury onboard.  
“Sure thing, miss. Thank you for the warning.” Ophelia replied smoothly, taking Sarah’s hand.  
“After you,” Riley said, stepping aside to let the two pass.  
“Thanks.” She and Sarah started to walk back to their seats with Riley in tow when the the sky rumbled around them and the lights went out in the cabin.  
“Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm as we have some minor difficulties with the rapidly changing weather pattern. Please remain seated at all times.” She ushered Sarah down the aisle faster, keeping her pace until they arrived back at their seats.  
“Sorry I’m in the way Riley. Let me just buckle her in.” Ophelia wanted to make sure that Sarah was safe and sound more than anything else, and could only hope that Riley didn’t mind. At this point the cabin was shaking violently, rattling back and forth. Her hands shook as she tried to secure Sarah’s seatbelt, only thinking about how Sarah’s mother must have been reacting that moment. She must have been worried sick; this fueled Ophelia to work faster until her hands finally closed the clasp of the seat belt.  
Unfortunately, that was the moment the air masks were released from the ceiling. “Shit, Riley you need to get back to your seat.”  
“I’m not leaving until I see that you’re safe in your seat.” He replied, worry etched into his face. He was glad to have befriended her, and the last thing he wanted for such a kind person like her was for her to get hurt. She hastily grabbed Sarah’s air mask and tightened it around the girl’s head, giving her a reassuring smile; Sarah must have been so scared.  
Ophelia was, without a doubt, one of the bravest people one could find. She was hopelessly, intensely, outrageously brave. So, when she faintly heard gasps from passengers at the back of the plane, followed by Riley shouting, “Watch out!”, she turned back just in time to throw herself and Riley into one of the seating rows- and onto an unsuspecting woman- as the snack cart hurdled past them. A loud smash echoed through the cabin as the cart slammed into the door to the cockpit. The nose of the plane started to point downwards at an alarming rate, making it impossible for Riley and Ophelia to get back to their seats.  
“We are in such deep shit,” She whispered to Riley as the plane continued to shake.  
“Tell me about it” He replied, a sense of sarcasm in his voice.  
She would have come up with another jokingly sarcastic remark, but all her thoughts were drowned out the the screams of those around her. Ophelia became aware that she was sandwiching Riley between herself and another female passenger, so she knelt down behind the seat to give them some room. Riley automatically knelt down next to her, shielding them both with his arms.  
‘Please, if there is a god, let us come out of this okay.’  
She would have given him and smile and a small ‘thank you’, but before she even had the chance, the plane collided with the black waters. Everything went dark as it shot under the water, and Ophelia couldn’t have been more glad to be out of a seatbelt; she would have been stuck otherwise. She grabbed Riley’s wrist and pulled him over to the emergency exit where they both began to pull the door open with all their might.  
As soon as the door swung open, hundreds of gallons of water began rushing into the cabin. She could faintly hear the screams and yelps of the other passengers, crying out as they desperately tried to unbuckle their seatbelts. Ophelia grabbed the threshold of the door and pulled herself through with all her strength, Riley following in suit. At this time the plane was slowly starting to sink deeper into the water, She could feel other pieces of debris falling around her as she swam to the surface that was oddly bright considering that it was a midnight flight. ‘There is totally something wrong here,’ she thought as she broke the surface of the water, warm daylight meeting her skin.  
‘What the hell?’ She thought to herself. Nothing was making sense, and she only realized too late that Riley hadn’t resurfaced with her. “Riley!” She dunked her head under the surf, desperately searching for any sign of her friend. Her eyes stung as the water rushed at her eyes, and she closed them for a moment of relief. She resurfaced again into the daylight- ‘What the hell is going on?’- taking another breath before taking another look.  
After a few minutes, Ophelia decided that no one was going to come back. She couldn’t see the plane anymore under the water and Riley would have ran out of air minutes ago. She let out a defeated sigh while noticing how tired she was. Her legs and arms ached from swimming against the current and treading water; she wasn’t even in that good of a shape beforehand. She wasn’t an athlete, after all.  
Ophelia managed to swim herself up to the nearest river bank, having seen two men swim in the same direction. She dragged herself onto the rocks and black spots appeared in her vision; this was all too much for her.  
It was then when she realized that there was, indeed, another man on the beach. His unusual patriotic garbs seemed familiar, but Ophelia’s exhausted mind couldn’t place it. She dragged herself over to the man’s body, holding her ear to his mouth; he wasn’t breathing.  
Before Ophelia could realize what was happening, her body went into autopilot, her hands pressing against the man’s chest. She had spent the last two years of her life staining to be a nurse, and she wouldn’t let this man die now. ‘One, two, three, four,’ She pressed, before opening his mouth and breathed into his mouth. ‘One, two, three, four,’ She breathed into his mouth again. She was determined not to let the man die, and though she felt like someone was watching her, she was too busy sawing the man’s life to check.   
“Breathe, damn it! Breathe!” She was out of breath as she spoke, but kept on pumping his chest. Finally, water overflowed from the man’s mouth and he started to cough violently. Ophelia fell back with exhaustion, barely noticing as the blonde man leaned over her, shouting for her to stay awake.


	2. "Shit!"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia finds out that she's a long way from home.

If there was one thing everyone knew about Ophelia, aside from the fact that she loved Marvel, it was that she absolutely hated hospitals. Ever since her father was diagnosed with cancer she had hated them, even more so after spending countless hours in his hospital room. She learned to hate them even more after he passed away, since he’d been unable to receive any more treatment.   
So it was safe to say that the moment Ophelia heard the beepings of the heart monitor, her mind exploded. She knew she needed to get out of there, and started with the tiniest movements- first wiggling her fingers, then her toes, followed by flexing her arms and legs. After a few minute of her rebooting, she was finally able to open her eyes. Though she knew what she was going to see- heart monitors, an iv, other medical equipment, etc- a part of her still flinched upon laying her eyes on the scene. She glared at the white popcorn ceiling and the pristine tiled floors as she ripped the iv out of her arm, not caring about the slight sting it caused.  
One of the things Ophelia hated about hospitals were their supplied clothes. Half the time the gowns they dressed patients in were too tiny or too big, all of them complete with a large slit in the back. She wiggled around in the bed and pinched her nose when she felt the uncomfortable slit falling down her back. She felt way too exposed in these clothes, but her normal attire was nowhere to be found. The only table in the room held a glass of water and someone’s baseball cap.  
She took a moment to wonder whose cap it was, but her thoughts were interrupted by a nurse walking into the room. Her brown hair was pinned to the back of her head, her body clad with light yellow scrubs. She clutched the clipboard in her hands loosely, as if she’d been used to talking to strangers. ‘Of course she is used to talking to strangers, you dimwit! It’s literally in her job description!’ If there was another reason that Ophelia disliked hospitals, it would be because of drugs they put the patients on. Her head was clearly still a bit foggy, and Ophelia didn’t like it one bit.  
“Hello, I’m Amberlyn and I will be your nurse today.” Amberlyn handed her the clipboard, the papers clipped tightly to it. What were supposed to be papers filled with her medical information came up blank.  
“I don’t understand, shouldn’t someone have used my wallet to ID me?”  
“There must have been some sort of error in the system, miss. For some reason your information wasn’t in the system when we checked. You have to fill it all out instead.” Amberlyn asked if she needed anything else, and promised to come back for the papers in a bit. After a shake of Ophelia’s head, she Amberlyn was gone.  
It took twenty minutes or so to fill in all the blanks and sign in all the right places. Ophelia's hand ended up cramping towards the end, but she toughed through it, just wanting to get the paperwork over with. True to her word, Amberlyn came back five minutes after she finished everything to take the papers back.  
“Is there any way you would know if a Susan Martin has called? She’s my mother- I’m sure she’s worried sick about this.”  
“I’m sorry, but we have not gotten any callers for you. Would you like to try to give her a call?”  
“Yes please, if it isn’t too much of a problem.” Nurse Amberlyn pulled her cellphone out of her back pocket, flipping it open for the call. Ophelia’s fingers pressed the buttons hurriedly, pleading for the universe to give her a break and let her mom pick up. Except she didn’t pick up. The number connected her to an elderly woman in the south Bronx named Amelia. Not her mother.  
After her failure, Ophelia laid back down on her bed. Ever since the plane had crashed, everything was off- from her senses to her apparently failed ID to her perception of time. That especially bothered her. The nurse had told her that her body was brought into the hospital around two in the afternoon after being found on the beach a half an hour earlier. Yet when her plane went down, it was around one in the morning. Not to mention that her plane wasn’t even supposed to go anywhere near the D.C. With all this confusion, she wondered for a moment if she had just gone crazy.  
Heavy footsteps brought her out of her daze as they stopped in front of her door, and Ophelia couldn't help but wonder who was visiting her. It still hadn't quite hit her that she was the only survivor she knew of from the plane crash, and that Sarah and Riley were most likely dead.  
“Hey there champ! How are you feeling?” Ophelia rubbed her eyes furiously, trying to get the bullshit out of her eyes. There was no way in hell that Chris Evans was in front of her.  
“Um, excuse me?” Maybe she was just seeing things. And hearing things. Maybe she was having a full-on psychotic break because, again, there was no way in hell that Chris Evans was in front of her.  
“I said, how are you feeling?” The Chris Evans look-alike responded. Though this man in particular did not have a beard, Ophelia was absolutely sure he was Chris Evans. Which brought up another important question- what was he doing in her hospital room, of all places?  
“Um, I’m alright I guess,” She answered slowly in attempt to not trip over her words. She was sure that if she talked any faster her words would start to slur. Damn hospital medicine. “No offense to you, but why are you here?”  
“None taken. You were the one that saved me, remember? Without you I’d be dead.”  
It took a moment for Ophelia to connect the dots. “Oh, you were the one in all those patriotic clothes? Yeah, I guess I did.”   
“Thank you for that, by the way.”  
“Uh, no problem dude. I just have one question…”  
“Ask away.”  
“Why are you, Chris Evans, in my hospital room?”  
“I’m sorry, I’m not following.” A frown etched into his features as she talked, slight concern on his face. He was clearly wondering why she hadn’t recognized him; everyone recognized him.  
“Aren’t you supposed to be on a press tour for Civil War?”  
“I’d hate to be rude, but with all due respect, I have no idea what you are talking about. Who is Chris Evans?”  
“You’re so funny. So, what is this- a prank show or something? I’d think it’s pretty rude to do this to someone just after a plane cr-” Ophelia fell back into her bed, finally taking in what happened. Was she the only one that made it out alive? “You know what? Nevermind- I could care less right now. Were there any survivors from the plane crash?”  
“I’m not following. From what I heard, you were in one of the SHIELD helicarriers when it fell into the Potomac,” He answered, and Ophelia cringed. This must have been some sort of sick joke, but she’d play as long just as long as he would tell her about the crash. “Which is one of the reasons why I’m here, along with the fact that you saved my life.”  
‘No. Friggin. Way.’ “That was… that was you?” She asked in a small voice. Did she seriously give mouth-to-mouth to Chris Evans? She blushed furiously; even the thought of her lips touching his sent her over the moon.  
The man looked down and bit his lip, trying to hide his blush as well. “Yeah, it was. Thank you, by the way.”  
“I’m glad I could help.”  
The man stuck out his hand to Ophelia, waiting for her to shake back. “It’s nice to meet you, miss…”  
“Ophelia. Ophelia Martin.”  
“It’s nice to meet you miss Martin. I’m Steve Rogers.”  
At that point, she decided that she was out of her mind. Completely, utterly out of her mind. There was no way in hell that Steve Rogers was real. Even if he was, what could he possibly he doing with her of all people? “Did you just say that your name is Steve Rogers?”  
“Yes ma’am. Are you feeling alright? You don’t look too good.” He must have noticed her face turn as white as a sheet, because his brows furrowed and he started to give her a concerned look. What? One would surely react the same way when faced with her situation- I mean it’s not every day that a man stands in front of you claiming to be Captain America.  
“What year is it?”  
“2014.” He paused, watching as her palm into her head.  
“Shit. And you’re not making it up that you are Steve Rogers?”  
“Since the last time I checked, I am in fact Steve Rogers. Do you want me to get you a nurse? I wasn’t aware that you were experiencing memory loss.”  
Ophelia threw up her arms, motioning for him to stay in his place. “No, please, no nurses or doctors.” She took a long, tired breath before thinking her situation over. If she really was sitting with Steve Rogers, that must have meant that she was in the Marvel Universe. She was running out of options, and that was the opposite of what she needed. In such a place where her fairy tales became a reality, she needed to have all the cards.  
“Okay, okay,” She pinched the bridge of her nose, sifting through all of her Marvel-related knowledge. She knew right off the bat that she wouldn’t be able to make it on her own in this world, especially without money and clothes, let alone housing. She needed to make sure that she’d be taken care of before everything blew up in her face- she needed to know that she’d be safe. Unfortunately, the safest place to be at the moment would have been the remains of SHIELD, because, well, it was SHIELD. “Can you please get me in touch with Nicholas Fury? It’s urgent- I need to talk to him.”  
The man- Steve- tried to cover his look of surprise; no one was supposed to know of Nick Fury outside of SHIELD. He didn’t want to let it slip that Fury was alive, let alone the director of SHIELD. “I don’t know how you know about him, but I’m sorry to tell you that he’s dead.”  
Ophelia rolled her eyes- everyone knew that Fury hadn’t died when the Winter Soldier shot him. Even people who weren’t fans knew that. “Okay, we both know that you’re lying.” She decided to be frank with him, trying to get to the point as quickly as possible. “I need to see him. Please. I promise once I talk to him I can explain everything to you.”  
After stepping out into the hall to call Fury, Ophelia took it upon herself to make use of the bathroom. She held her head under the faucet for a minute with the water on the coldest setting, trying to wake herself up. If this wasn’t some sort of dream, she was about to face one of the most powerful, intimidating people in the world. While wearing a hospital gown.  
Next she looked around the small room, looking for any way to clean her teeth. She opened the mirror cabinet to see a stack of small packaged toothbrushes alongside small tubes of toothpaste. She smiled at the thought of feeling clean; hospitals always made her feel dirty. She quickly brushed her teeth and spit out, her anxiety level getting exponentially higher. If this wasn’t a dream, she would have bigger problems to face than how to interact with her childhood heroes.  
After Steve hung up his cell and confirmed that Fury was willing to talk, he told Ophelia that she would be brought to an undisclosed location for questioning. She way his words left his tongue gave her bundles of anxiety, but she tried her best not to show it. Steve had been a doll for her and bought some clothes from the hospital store- they were not flattering to say the least.   
Ophelia left the hospital rocking an ‘I love grandma!’ tee shirt and a pair of black sweatpants that were a size too big. She sighed a bit at the thought of all her favorite clothes lost in the plane, and the outfit that was ruined in the crash. She’d really liked some of those garments, and continued to silently mourn them as a black car rolled up to the entrance of the building.   
Steve, like a perfect gentleman, opened her car door for her. His eyes were still gleaming with concern and confusion, obviously confuddled as to why this girl out of all people knew the all-knowing director. Ophelia murmured a small ‘thank you’ as she climbed into the car before scooting in so that he could sit down in the back too. He slid in beside her, and then the awkward car ride began.  
Ophelia was doing anything and everything to pass the time, trying her best not to gape at the man beside her. She twiddled her thumbs, shook her leg, hummed quietly to herself- anything to keep herself from talking to Steve. She knew if she opened her mouth she’d probably let something slip, and if that whole space-time continuum shit was real, she didn’t want to upset the universe even further. She cynically thought that the universe already hated her, but who knew? Maybe she was meant to be there.  
“So you know Fury,” Steve started, looking out the fast moving car. He turned his head towards Ophelia, wondering what she knew.  
“Yeah, you can say that.” She replied- I mean she wasn’t lying. Technically she knew Steve and Natasha and the rest of the Avengers too in this universe.  
“How did you meet Nick, if you don’t mind me asking?”  
Here’s the thing- Ophelia was never the best liar. It got her into a lot of trouble with school, her family and her friends, but she just couldn’t do it. She would soon have to lean on subtle half-truths to get through the clear. “I’ve known him since I was young, he saved me.” This wasn’t technically a lie- throughout her high school experience she had had a few depressive episodes, and all her beloved comics kept her sane. It just so happened that Nick was one of the characters.  
“And you know what he does?”  
“I probably know more than I should.” That was especially true.  
“So what brings you to pursue him now?” Steve raised his eyebrows, both interested and intrigues by her situation. “I don’t mean to pry, but it almost seems like you don’t want to be here.”  
She laughed dryly. “Well, you’re not wrong,” Ophelia mulled over her thoughts, trying to find the right words to say. “I’m just a little lost and I need his help to find my way home.” Yeah, that was a good answer.  
A long silence followed her reply, neither person wanting to disrupt it. On one hand, Ophelia was holding herself back from consoling Steve about his friend. If her timeline was correct, Steve had just found and then lost his best friend all over again. She desperately wanted to tell Steve that it wasn’t his fault- that he couldn’t have done anything to save Bucky from falling off the train. And he certainly wasn’t responsible for what happened to Bucky at Hydra. She knew that guilt was eating him away on the inside, along with utter confusion and a desperate need for a friend.   
Now, if there was one thing that Ophelia wasn’t, it was egotistical. So when the thought of being the friend that Steve needed crossed her mind, she was quite surprised with herself. There were so many people in this universe that would be a better friend to him- Sam, Natasha, hell even Tony if he kept his mouth shut for a little while. But for reasons unbeknownst to her, she felt a strong need to make this strong man feel better. She’d spent her whole life reading about his struggles, and now was her chance to do something about it. She could help him.  
On the other hand, she had no idea how he’d take the information. She would never tell him everything, but surely telling him that Bucky was okay wouldn’t hurt. Maybe she could help Steve with his search, and maybe she could try to prevent the events of Civil War. She didn’t want any of her favorite superheroes getting hurt, especially by the hands of each other. She really wished she had been able to see Civil War before she got into this universe- she’d been hearing some awful rumors about the ending that would have swayed her decision greatly.  
And then there was the whole matter of the space-time continuum. She had no idea how all of this was working- how she was in a world inside of comic book series. She had no idea if telling Steve this information would get her in trouble with some way with either the universe or even just the government. Would telling Steve about his friend really be worth possibly messing up the universe? She’d admit that she was biased for Steve- I mean, who wouldn’t want to help their lifelong role model?   
‘What the hell,’ She thought to herself, ‘I’m already going down- I might as well do some good while I’m at it.’ “Steve, you know it’s not your fault, right?”  
“What?”  
“You know that what happened to Bucky wasn’t your fault, right?”  
Steve’s eyes widened at the mention of his best friend. Ophelia watched as anger and confusion flashed through his eyes, waiting to see how he’d react. “How do you know Bucky?”  
“Like I told you, I know too much.” Ophelia replied, trying to keep her cool. “And part of what I do know is about Bucky. And about you.”  
His eyes narrowed a considerable amount, and the corners of his mouth tugged downwards. “And what do you know about me?”  
“I know that you have always felt responsible for Bucky’s ‘death’, even though it was out of your control. And when he returned, that guilt got worse. You’re blaming yourself now more than ever, imagining all of the horrors of what happened to him at Hydra.” She paused, letting the information sink through Steve’s mind. “But you have to know that this isn’t your fault. You shouldn’t blame yourself- you can’t blame yourself. You need to spend that energy on more important tasks, like finding him. Because when you do find him, he will need you at your best, not in a state of grief and self-hatred.”  
Steve’s mouth opened to reply, then closed abruptly. He was clearly at a loss for words, and Ophelia thanked the universe because in that moment they arrived at the SHIELD headquarters. The driver got out and opened her door, and she hastily climbed out, eager to get away from that awkward conversation.   
“This way, miss Martin.” The driver walked through the large doorway of the vast building, not sparing a glance behind them. Ophelia quickly shuffled after them, crossing her arms in attempt to hide her embarrassing shirt from all of the swanky agents surrounding her. And boy, were they everywhere. Women and men alike scurried around the workplace, so much more busy than how the movies represented the workplace. Ophelia gaped at all the high-tech machines around her as she walked behind the driver; her world had never gotten this far with technology. She was in awe at just how far people could go, with the help of Tony Stark’s genius mind, of course.  
After a few minutes of walking down twisting halls, Ophelia was lead inside an interrogation room. Or, at least, what she thought was an interrogation room. Across from her seat a mirrored wall stood tall, so of course she had to assume that it was a one-way window for the other side; that’s how it was like in all movies as far as she knew.  
“Miss Martin, I presume?” Ophelia whipped her head around to see a serious-looking man behind her, giving her a look of suspicion and distrust. He circled around her until he took a seat across the interrogation table from her. “This would be the part where I’d show you your file and tell you about how I knew every one of your secrets, but it seems as though Ophelia Martin does not exist. So, please enlighten me- who are you really?”  
“Mr. Fury, please, you have to understand that what I am about to say is crazy, but I need you to believe me.” She pleaded; she was desperate to find someone to spill to. Since she’d arrived in the Marvel universe she’d been going through several states of shock, and it was now wearing off, leaving her a deteriorating mess. “I’d like to start by asking if there is anyone watching us behind the mirror right now.” She lowered her voice so that only the two of them would hear her. “I don’t think you’ll want anyone else to hear what I’m about to say.”  
“Why should I believe that you have any information at all?”  
“With all due respect Mr. Fury, the fact that if I, an innocent civilian, knows of your existence should interest you enough to listen to me.”  
“Point taken.” Fury took out a futuristic-looking phone and typed into it for a minute until a beeping sounded through the room. “You have five minutes to tell me everything before the cameras in here turn back on.”  
“Okay, thank you.” Ophelia sighed- where would she begin? “I am quite a long way from home, Mr. Fury, and I have not an inkling of an idea of how I got here. I am from an, for a lack of a better word, alternate universe in which this world is a comic book series.” Fury gave her an incredulous look, obviously not pleased with her seeming lies.   
“No, really, I’m serious. I grew up reading about you, captain Rogers, Loki and Thor, and even Thanos, which now that I think about it, you may not even know about yet.” By the look on Fury’s impassive face, she guessed that she wouldn’t find out whether or not he was aware of Thanos’s presence, so she moved on quickly. “I, along with entire nations, have been reading about all of your struggles for years, all told through serieses of comic books and movies. That’s how I knew your name, Mr. Fury.”  
“And you are expecting me to believe this nonsense?”  
“I am wishing that you will believe me, sir. I know that this is hard to believe, but please try to understand. I don’t know how I got here and where I am, only that I have somehow crossed universes to end up in a land I once thought was fake. I have no place to go and no one to go to, so I came to you. And before I go on, I will tell you this- since I have read nearly all of the comics and watched the movies, I know things that even you do not know. I believe that I can be an asset to you, if you’d let me. Or, at the very least, please just let me stay here until I can get back on my feet.”  
“What do you mean that you know things even I don’t?”  
“I know that Hydra has been lurking in the shadows of SHIELD for decades, right behind your back. I know that right now, Bucky Barnes- formally aliased as the Winter Soldier, is roaming the streets in search of refuge after being freed from Hydra. I know that Steve Rogers will spent the next two years with his friend Sam Wilson looking for him, without success, just like I know that in two years one of Tony Stark’s creations will attempt to take over the world. With that you will find two more enhanced, victims manipulated by Hydra, teaming up with the invention known as Ultron. Need I go on?”  
“How do I know that you aren’t just making this up as you go along?”  
“Because I even know a secret shared only between yourself and Mr. Barton. I know that you secretly set up a homestead at an undisclosed site for Barton’s family: his wife and three, no, two children. And also, I thought you were able to tell if someone was lying or not, Mr. Fury. Surely you have been able to tell that what I have been saying is all true.”  
“Well, I’ll be damned.”  
“I know, right?” She paused for a moment, just glad that he believed her. “I won’t ask much from you- I just want to get back home. In the meantime I would just like that you would keep me safe in this world. I will tell you anything that you want to know, but please be warned that I have no idea how it will affect the space-time continuum.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“You’re a smart man, Fury. You should know just as well as I that if you plan to alter any timelines that I tell you about, all future information that I will have told you would be useless.”  
“I am well aware of how the theory works.”  
“I promise to cooperate in any and all ways that you wish me to, just please, can you try to help me get home?”  
“I’m not so sure about how much we can help you with your situation, but I will allow some of my most trusted scientists to give it a try. In exchange for your full cooperation, of course.”  
“Thank you, thank you so much.”  
“Your welcome. In the meantime though, Miss Martin, we have a lot to talk about.”


	3. Saving Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia decides that this universe IS NOT SAFE!

It took less than a week for Fury to trust her enough to be relocated. Ophelia was never much of a liar, and she found herself unable to hold back any information she may have wanted to in in her confused daze. Fury had complied to her requests surprisingly well; apparently he was a bit nicer than the way he was portrayed in the movies and comics. That or he pitied her- the lost girl alone in a world, in over her head. She concluded to herself that it was probably a little bit of both.  
She had requested to have a small house in the outskirts of DC, wanting a bit of time to herself to sort things out. For once as of late, the universe gave her a break and she received her wish, but not before meeting the one and only Natasha Romanoff to help get a set of new clothes. That was a whole other story within itself- one for another time.   
At least the house wasn’t completely bare, she bargained with herself. Sure, it was a skeleton of a house with basic kitchen and bathroom supplies and a bed, but that was one of the casualties of living in a SHIELD safe house- it missed some of the normal amenities that other houses had. Maybe when Fury had more trust in her he would give her access to TV, and if she was lucky, an upgrade from the flip phone they gave her before she departed.  
After moving in- which took roughly ten minutes with the small amount of belongings she had- Ophelia put a log in the fireplace and set it alight. She lightly skipped over to the wall to wall bookshelf- the best part of the house according to her- and picked out a hardcover at random. She turned the cover over in her hand, her eyes meeting a pastel blue eye. 1984, by George Orwell. She let out an accidental snort at the irony of her choice before walking back over to the fireplace, taking a seat on the couch in the living room. She snuggled into the soft brown fabric before losing herself in the gripping writings of Orwell. That was, until her neighbors decided to welcome her, of course.  
***  
“Hi,” A tall woman and burly man stood in front of the door, a basket of muffins in the woman’s hand. “I’m Mabel and this is my husband Chris Portman. We’re your new neighbors- we just wanted to see how you were getting settled!” Her voice was overenthusiastic and awfully high pitched, but Ophelia knew she could deal with it.  
“Oh, wow, thank you! Please, do come in!”  
Mabel and Nick walked through the front entrance of the house, taking their time to examine the very few objects that were in her house. “You have such a lovely house! I love the white crowned molding on the ridges of the ceiling- they were a nice touch!”  
“Uh, thank you?”  
“Oh, it’s definitely a compliment, dear,” Mabel made her way into Ophelia’s small living room next, where only a couch stood. “I should know- I’m an interior designer.”  
Okay, now this woman was just bullshitting to be nice. Ophelia appreciated the effort, especially since the people she’d met in the past couple of days had been a lot less friendly and welcoming. “That means a lot, then. Please, do make yourself comfortable. Could I interest you with some coffee, or tea perhaps?”  
Chris responded rather quickly after that, “Some coffee would be nice, if you wouldn’t mind.”  
“Sure, and for you, Mabel?”  
“I’ll have what he’s having.” Mabel walked across the room, inspecting the bare shelves and walls. Ophelia had just finished getting rid of the boxes downstairs, so the room seemed even more empty than it had before. “I love the style of your furnishings!”  
Ophelia was already in the kitchen, still open to the living room, figuring out how to use the high-tech coffee maker that she had been supplied. “Thank you! It seems I’m a bit of a minimalist.” Of course it would seem that way- what Ophelia had was a skeleton of a house, nearly picked to its bones.  
“I’ve always admired minimalists- I could never be one though. I always get too attached to my belongings.” Mabel eventually found her way next to her husband on the couch, sitting patiently. She ran a finger across the armrest of sofa, checking for dust. When nothing came up on her fingertip she made a noise of approval to herself, deciding that her neighbor was worthy of her attention. In her defense, Mabel had seen some oddballs come in and out of Ophelia’s house over the years, and she just wanted to make sure that Ophelia wasn’t yet another freak to pass through the halls.  
“Here you go,” Ophelia made her way back to the spouses, two cups of black coffee in her hands. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted any sugar or milk in your drink. Feel free to get some milk from the fridge.” She was in luck, because the couple had always loved black coffee.   
Chris struck up a conversation with Ophelia about the history of the neighborhood- and her house specifically- after his first sip of his drink, entrancing her with his stories. “Actually, this isn’t the only house that has had oddballs live in it throughout the years. At the end of the street there is this one man, Alexander, who has yet to make an appearance in all of the ten years that we’ve lived here. The only reason we know his name was because we saw it in the paper when he moved here.”  
“Sometimes we’re not even sure that anyone lives in the house, but the bedroom lights are always on until a certain time at night.” Mabel nodded at her words, eagerly giving in to the gossip.  
“No offense to you, of course, but couldn’t he just like his space?”  
“That’s what we thought, at first at least,” Chris was grinning at this point, enjoying the thrills of telling this ghost story of a conversation. “But he never makes an appearance outside. Like, ever. We didn’t even notice that someone was living there for the first few months. Sometimes we still doubt that there is anyone living there. Then, right when we are sure, we see some movement inside the house.”  
To be honest, Ophelia was not sure who was creepier at that point- this mystery man or the Portman couple. Who uses their spare time to watch another household? “Don’t you think that you’re looking a bit too far into this?”  
“I suppose it could be nothing,” Mabel exhaled boredly, “But we have to have some way to pass the time. Other than making love, of course- right honey?” ‘Yikes’ Ophelia thought. ‘Just yikes.’  
“Oh, come on Mabel, you’re making the poor girl uncomfortable. Save the bedroom talk for the bedroom sweetheart.”  
“Oh,” Mabel giggled, patting her husband’s shoulder. “Of course. Sorry about that Ophelia. But you know what it’s like to be in love- sometimes you forget that you two aren’t the only people in the world.”  
“Oh, yeah, of course, I get it,” No she didn’t, but why would she tell them that? Ophelia looked out the window, the warm orange glow of the impending sunset meeting her eyes. “I’m terribly sorry to do this, but it’s getting late and I was planning to turn in early. You know how it is- moving in takes a lot of energy out of ya. I can take your cups if you’d like.”  
“Oh, you’re right! It is getting late, isn’t it?” Mabel took her husband’s cup from his hands and gave them to a slightly eager Ophelia. She then guided the couple to her front door before sending them off, wishing them a good night as they turned her backs to her. Closing the door behind her, she slid her back down the wood and plopped onto the floor- holding up conversations were getting increasingly stressful the more time she was spending in this universe. The worry of messing up someone’s timeline or accidentally letting something slip was eating her from the inside out, only with a load of exhaustion to follow.   
She let out a long sigh and a groan before picking herself up off of the ground a minute later, done with her sulking session. She was just going have to deal with the fact that she might not be able to get home to her family and friends. She was just going to have to deal with the fact that she might not be able to return home. Though she knew that she should have been happy about existing in the same world as her childhood heroes, guilt only chewed away at her heart knowing that her family was probably worrying for her somewhere out there, waiting for her to come home.   
Yes, she had made wishes several times in her life to live one of adventure and heroism, but was it really worth it? Was this really the cost of never seeing her home again- her family- her friends? Her heartache only grew as she returned to the kitchen, looking through the empty cabinets for something to eat while knowing fully well that nothing was there. She could just imagine looking through the goodies of her family’s stocked pantry back at home, sifting through the sweets until she found the perfect food to quench her hunger. None of that was going to happen here.  
As Ophelia drowned in her thoughts the sun continued to fall from the sky until it disappeared altogether behind the forests of her neighborhood. The only evidence that it had even been there were the streaks of golden rays lighting up small parts of the room. She moved closer to the window, trying to feel the warmth that they would offer. As she stood there, soaking in the remnants of the sun, she noticed movement in the corner of her eye.   
Ophelia turned her head to the side quickly, swearing that she saw a shadow near the edge of the property’s tree line. Surely it was nothing- SHIELD had used this safe house a thousand times before without being detected by Hydra- why would her arrival change any of that? She was just another innocent citizen with nothing to offer. Knowing this eased her nerves a bit, enough to convince herself to go to bed early. The more time she spent sleeping, the less time she had to face her problems.  
*** Two Days Later ***  
1:00 AM  
“Ophelia?”   
“Ophelia!”   
“Where are you?” Familiar voices surrounded Ophelia as she sat on her bed in her old room. She fisted the bed blankets underneath her before retreating under the covers, desperately trying to get away from all the noise. To no avail, the sobbing voices were still able to penetrate the thin sheets despite her wishes that they would keep them out.   
“Ophelia? Why are you doing this to us? Ophelia?” Ophelia could only envision the tears streaming down her mother’s face as she screamed for her daughter to come to her senses.  
“Mom! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Ophelia screamed back, her hands now covering her ears as she curled up into a tight ball. “I didn’t mean for this to happen!”  
“Why would you do this to your mother, Ophelia?” Her father’s voice was angry and she could practically see his brows furrowed with anger. “Why would you leave her all alone?”  
“I didn’t mean to!” Ophelia felt hot tears fall down her cheeks before sliding onto the sheets. “I didn’t know this would happen!”  
“Why would you ever think of leaving your mother alone?” Ophelia knew her father would be mad, but actually hearing his usually upbeat voice filled with rage gave her the chills.  
“I’m so sorry!” Her breaths were coming out in hard gasps now, her throat constricting further and further… “I’m so sorry...I’m so-”  
Ophelia flew up into a sitting position in her bed, breathing hard. Beads of sweat gathered on her forehead and other parts of her body before soaking her cocoon of covers surrounding her. Sure, she had had her share of bad dreams when she was staying in the SHIELD headquarters, but knowing that she was now alone made them much worse. Knowing that made them much more intense.   
A creak on the wooden floor pulled Ophelia out of her thoughts, only making her heartbeat more erratic. Another squeak from the floor followed by a quiet chuckle made her scramble out of the bed. Her mind was racing nearly as fast as her heart at that point, and she quickly shoved her fist in her mouth to lessen the sounds of her heavy breathing. More footsteps sounded from the other room, sending Ophelia into a state of panic. She should have known someone was going to find her sooner or later. She guessed that it was going to be sooner rather than later.   
The footsteps stopped inside what Ophelia could guess was the kitchen. ‘Oh god, the knives,’ she thought as a small metallic swish sounded through the house. ‘Quick, Ophelia, think!’ As quietly as she could, she made her way over to the only hiding place in her room- the closet. It wouldn’t have been her first choice, but the only other option was hiding under the bed and that was too obvious. There was no way she would be able to open the window of her room without alerting the intruder- all of the windows of the house were creaky and old.   
Ophelia thanked the universe that the closet was already open a crack, meaning that she wouldn’t have to open it any more with the risk of making the joints creak. The last thing she wanted to do was give herself away- if he was going to find her, she was at least going to try her best to prolong the inevitable. Her face was red hot and damp with sweat when she started to hear the sounds.   
First there were quick footsteps to the front door, followed by the intruder opening it widely. For a fleeting moment she thought that he- or she- may have left, but those thoughts were soon dissipated as the footsteps came back. Only, now there was something else making noise along with the footsteps. A sound of some sort of weighed-down plastic wrap being dragged accompanied the footsteps into the kitchen. So many possibilities ran across her mind as she started to hear thumps sounding from her kitchen- was the intruder going to kill her? Slit her throat and let her blood run onto the plastic, making it easier to clean up the mess? Were they going to wrap her up in it until she ran out of air and suffocated to death? Ophelia’s hands started trembling as more intrusive thoughts entered her mind.  
She held her hands to her mouth, holding her breath the best she could. Her heart beat out of her chest and she could feel her flesh pale while the sound of chopping filled her ears. Swift, efficient chopping- every so often she would hear a crunch. She didn’t want to peek to see what the intruder was cutting up, but she really hoped that it was just carrots. A small voice in her head reminded her that there was no food in the house, but she opted to ignore that thought. Whatever it was, by the time the intruder finished chopping, it would have been sliced into fine, terrifyingly small pieces.  
“Come here, sweetheart,” Okay. Whoever he was, he had officially won the scariest voice award in Ophelia’s mind. It topped Jack Nicholson’s ‘here’s johnny’ and even Loki’s terrifying laughs from the Avengers movie. This man’s voice topped the list not because there was any brooding or deep tone, but because of how soft he called to her. How he called to her in a caring, passionate way, like one would coo ‘I love you’s to a lover. It chilled her to the bone, made her blood freeze and her heart stop.  
“Come out, my love,” A couple of hot tears gathered in her eyes; this man was going to kill her. This man, this terrifyingly creepy man, was going to be the one that ended her life. Why did the universe hate her so much?  
“No?” He almost sounded disappointed, like she had seriously wounded him. Like she had broken his heart by not coming out of her place in the back of her closet. “Okay then, I guess I’ll just have to find you instead!”  
Ophelia moved one hand off of the other to grip the closest thing to her- one of her new SHIELD-issued jackets- and gripped it as tightly as she could. Her fingernails had already drawn blood from squeezing her hand too tight and she wanted to minimize the damage she did to herself. Unfortunately, gripping the jacket did little to ease her anxieties, especially when his footsteps left the kitchen.  
1:11 AM  
The worst thing about the man’s footsteps were that they barely made any noise. The only reason she had heard them in the first place was because his shoes rubbed against the kitchen’s wooden floor, but now all bets were off. He had officially crossed into the rest of the carpeted home, leaving Ophelia without a clue as to where the psycho was.   
Yes, psycho. What else was she supposed to call him? She knew that he was clearly mentally disturbed, but calling him a murderer in her mind seemed wrong- as far as she knew, he’d never killed anyone. Yet. There could have been lots of other reasons the man was in her house other than murder, but Ophelia didn’t want to think of the other options.   
“Honey, why don’t you just come out? We could have a good time together, you and I.” Ophelia mentally cursed everything and anything she could think of. Screw SHIELD for not putting her in a safer location. Screw the security system for not keeping her safe. And, most importantly, screw the universe for continually trying to break her.   
After tasting the peculiar tang of iron in her mouth, she realized that she was bleeding from biting down on her lip too hard. Ophelia squeezed her eyes shut as a shadow appeared under the slit of the closet door. The man sighed, “Honey, please come out? I know you’re in there.” Her eyes snapped open, and she automatically shot her hands out to feel for anything to use as a weapon in her confined space.   
The shadow under the door moved as the man shifted, beginning to tap his foot impatiently. Finally, her bloody fingers closed around something other than clothing- a lone nail sticking out from one of the shelves. She tugged on it with all her might, and it came out with a small protest. She barely had time to stick it in her back pocket before the double doors swung open, revealing a horrifying sight. A man with a surprisingly soft and compassionate face looked down at her- she knew that face. Chris looked down at her, his stare boring into her eyes.  
“Come on now, I have plans for us.” He held out his hand to the dazed Ophelia, and she very cautiously took his hand- if she was going to survive, she would have to play by his rules. For now. He gave her a quick onceover, frowning at her slightly scared expression. “Smile, sweetheart- you’ll look prettier that way.”  
She decided to ignore his comment, deciding to move on to question him instead of dwelling over his misogynistic comment. “Who are you, really?” Ophelia thought the question was simple but he only responded with a small shush as the man’s large hand guided her out of the closet to the kitchen table. What laid in front of her eyes was by far the most disturbing thing she had ever seen- it seemed as though the man had made a feast out of (what she could only assume) human flesh and meat. Her hand shot up to her mouth to keep bile from pouring out of her mouth; she was going to be sick. The worst parts was the set of eyes acting as a centerpiece in the middle of the dish. One pair of familiar blue eyes (Mabel’s eyes were eerily the same shade...) laid on top of one of the stacks of bloody meat, waiting to be devoured. Putting two and two together, Ophelia ran over to the sink and threw up all of what she had for lunch.  
“Why are you doing this?” Ophelia turned away from the sink, wiping the leftover puke from her chin. “Please, you can take whatever you want. I’ll say I never saw your face- you can knock me out cold and be gone by the time I wake up.” Ophelia knew her pleas were going to be fruitless, but she felt as though she needed to advocate for herself in some way.  
“I’ve always found that the taste of human meat was more fine than that of other animals. I decided in celebration for destroying my cover we could have a meal together and both enjoy the fine tastes.”  
“Oh god,” Sweat gathered on the top of Ophelia’s forehead. “Please, I’ll get you all the money you want…”  
“Oh, sweetheart- I don’t need the money. All I want is you.” Another tear slid down her face as his soft words reached her ears. “Now, now. Don’t be like that- sit down with me instead.”  
On the list of things that Ophelia wanted to do, walking over and taking a seat next to the maniac was not one of them. Hell, it wouldn’t be anywhere near the metaphorical list in the first place! But as she mulled over her options and came up blank, she decided that she would sit down anyway. After, of course, vowing to herself not to eat the main course.  
“This is a lovely dinner you have here, mister…” Ophelia trailed off, trying to get any real information out of the man as she could.  
“I’m Philip Teague, but you can just call me Philip sweetheart.” Sweetheart. That term of endearment was never going to have an affectionate meaning to her ever again, she realized.  
“It’s nice to meet you Philip. I’m Ophelia.”  
“It’s nice to finally meet my mission personally. I spent quite a long time trailing the cars from SHIELD to get here.” The man, Philip, picked up his fork and started to shovel the red meat onto his plate. In order to not upchuck again, Ophelia folded her shaking bloody hands in her lap.  
“SHIELD? Why are you following SHIELD?” She already knew the answer.  
“Because on of our insiders caught wind that there was a new, important arrival of course. We practically hit the jackpot when it was decided that you were to move away from the main compound- it would have been so much harder to retrieve you there.” He started to cut the meat up on his plate. “Thank you for making my job easier, sweetheart.” Ophelia didn’t get how his voice could be that soft and menacing at the same time.  
1:16 AM  
“So I’m guessing you are working for Hydra, then?”  
“Ten points to Gryffindor!” Philip joked, a small smile forming on his gentle face. “You are correct- I do, in fact, work for Hydra. After all, you are my mission sweetheart!”  
“I- I am?”  
“Indeed. Hydra sent me to obtain you before transferring you to the nearest secure base, but they said I could have a little fun first. Aren’t you having fun, sweetheart?” Ophelia’s heart thudded against her chest over and over, her breaths almost turning into pants.   
‘Okay,’ she thought, ‘I can get through this. I just have to trick and lie my way through a highly- trained psycho Hydra agent. This should be a breeze.’ “I would have more fun if we talked about your job. It’s so fascinating to me,” After this day, she decided, she was never going to use the following term again. “Sweetheart.”  
“Oh, it is?” Philip’s soft smile turned into a full out grin as he continued to cut through the flesh of the Sean fillet. “Well, let me tell you this- my bosses love me there,” Ophelia withheld a deserved eye roll, trying to listen as best she could. “Sometimes they aren’t sure that my methods are, what’s the word-” Philip raised a finger to his chin, mock thinking, “humane. But when has Hydra ever been humane? They just have to deal with my ways- I have the second largest success rating in the whole system, meaning that they can’t get rid of me. The only man that beat me- the Winter Soldier- has been nowhere to be found. That left me at the top of the ranks!”  
“Congratulations!” She rubbed her fingers together under the table, now trying to find excuses to not dig into this ‘meal’.   
“Thank you sweetheart!” Philip beamed at Ophelia, a shining, full-toothed grin fit for a toothpaste commercial. “It means a lot to me that you care.”  
“Of course I would,” Ophelia eyed the different cuts of meat, some cooked and some painstakingly raw.  
“You know, I believe that the relationship between an asset like myself and a target like yourself is much more intimate than my coworkers like to think.” ‘Oh god,’ Ophelia’s vision was starting to be taken over by large black spots, but she willed herself not to check out- she needed to stay awake. She needed to get through this, to live. If not for herself, then for her parents.  
“Oh, really? How so?”  
“Well, if I were to kill you now, I would be the last person you would ever see. I’d be the last face you’d ever see. Something about that is just so pure, so,” He paused, looking her up and down, “delicious.”  
1:19 AM  
By the time his monologue ended, Ophelia had turned her head to the side and threw up whatever contents were left in her stomach. So much for being brave. So now, on top of the putrid smell of fresh human meat, she had to deal with the smell of her puke as well. Well, it was not like the night could get much worse.  
“Sweetheart, why don’t you eat? After making that much of a mess surely you must be hungry, are you not?”   
Ophelia gulped, tasting the acidic remnants of the puke in her mouth. “I’m good, thank you for offering… Philip.” She made sure to say his name in a sweet, sultry way that had been able to bed men in the past. She figured that in order to ween herself out of the situation, she needed to play all the cards that she had. As much as she hated to say it, being a woman was one of them- coincidentally the only fault she had found in his self was that he was still a man, with desires and all. She had learned from past experiences that pig men like him were quick to bed and not right in the head, and she planned to use that to her advantage.  
“Very well then, Ophelia. I guess that must means that there’s more for me!” Philip’s reply was eerily jovial, even though he had already been acting happy. Something about his upbeat, kind attitude gave her the chills. At least stereotypical bad guys had bad manners and snappy attitudes- Philip was everything but this. Hell, he was even well dressed in a black tee and dark jeans. (At least he had a sense of fashion…)

With her hands now tied tightly behind her back, Ophelia could only describe her stance as completely, utterly screwed. She wiggled her fingers around uselessly. Philip scowled at her from his spot leaning on the back of the couch. In some stupid attempt of rebellion, she hacked up a ball of spit and spat it down at his feet. She grinned as Philip’s expression breifly flashed with disgust- ‘good.’ He quickly jumped away from the glob of spit, unprofessionally grossed out by it. ‘If I’m going down, he sure as hell will suffer with me.’  
“So, Philip, my man,” Ophelia didn’t know where these words were coming from- they certainly weren’t her own- yet they were somehow coming out of her mouth. Maybe it was all of the adrenaline mixed with the sense of her inevitable self-despair. “When are we going to get a move on? I mean, it’s not like I don’t like spending time with you or anything- because you are delightful company- but I thought you said that you had to bring me to Hydra.”  
“Oh, for your own good will you please be quiet?” His voice was still smooth as ever, though his tone had seemed a bit edgier than before. Good. Ophelia hoped that she’d be able to rile him up enough to get him distracted. Then she could work on getting herself the hell out of there. “Please, before I decide to tell my higher ups that there was an accident while I was extracting you. Maybe I’d tell them that you just happened to run into my knife. Or maybe you stabbed yourself to free yourself from my clutches. Yeah… that could work.”  
‘Shit.’ “Oh, but Philip, our fun has just begun!” She sent him a broad smile, making sure to look cute in the process. “Surely you wouldn’t want to kill me just yet?”  
Philip’s pupils dilated, his irises quickly eclipsed by their blackness. Ophelia took that as a sign to start running over her options of how to escape. Her first problem was getting out of her rope restraints. Maybe, if she was able to seduce him (like in the movies, of course) she would be able to get out, but she really didn’t want to go there. Her fingernails were too short from the last time she cut them, so sawing her way out with them was a no-go. Maybe she could rub the bonds against the chair enough that they would weaken, but that was truly a long shot of a chance to get free.   
It was like a lightbulb went off in Ophelia’s head. ‘Of course!’ she thought to herself, mentally palming her forehead at her stupidity. ‘The nail!’ She slowly moved her hands towards her left back pocket of her jeans, and suppressed a wild grin as the a cool, blunt object met the pads of her fingertips.  
“I guess you’re right. I don’t think we are done here. At least, not yet.” The smile that followed Philip’s challenging rebuttal was sure to haunt Ophelia’s dreams for the rest of her life- if she was able to survive, of course. Philip turned around and splayed his hands on the kitchen table, his eyes searching for something amongst the massacre of the meat slabs. He grinned as his eyes zeroed in on something on the table, but it was out of her line of sight.   
As carefully as she could with her shaky hands, Ophelia slowly pulled the nail out of her pocket, gripping it tightly in her left hand. While Philip went to reach for the item, she started rubbing the ropes up against the sharp end of the metal. A part of her was tempted to say another sarcastic remark- she would later blame the adrenaline for her erratic thinking- but she thought better of it and kept her mouth shut.   
When Philip turned back to face Ophelia, her blood nearly froze. There, in his hand, was the bloody knife that he had used to cut all the meat made from poor Mabel’s body. It was dripping wet with blood and glinted in the moonlight shining through the windows of the kitchen.   
It was then when Ophelia finally was able to see the maniacal look in his eyes. Before his looks had mirrored those of a sane man, but now he threw all of that away to show his real colors. What laid before Ophelia was scarier than anything that the soft, smooth-talking Philip could have done. Flipping the knife in the air again and again, a overjoyed smile grew on his face. His pupils were nearly overtaking his irises by now, dilated to a point that could have only been provoked by an extreme amount of pleasure. She found it hard to wrap her head around the fact that he was getting pleasure off of twirling his knife in anticipation of hurting her. What messed up a person enough to make them this way?  
As she continued her careful movements ripping the rope, Ophelia spoke again. “So, whatcha gonna do with that knife, sweetheart?” He smirked to himself as he heard her use his term of endearment. There was something so… touching about the notion that pleased him even more. He looked back over to Ophelia, now gripping the knife tighter than ever.   
“I think I’m going to cut you, sweetheart.” The sinister smile that crossed Philip’s face was nothing short of terrifying. Ophelia tried to forget what she had just heard as her fingers continued discreetly using the nail to break free from her bonds. A sense of satisfaction rushed through her body as one end of the rope broke, falling towards the floor.   
However, it was in that same moment that Philip decided to crouch down to her level, his eyes fixed on hers. “You are so beautiful, sweetheart. It’s too bad that I have to break you.” And then there was pain. Red-hot pain erupted from her thigh as the knife plunged into her right thigh, blood gushing out as he extracted it from her body. Ophelia was about to scream her lungs out, but she was too afraid of what he would do to her if she let out anything above a whisper. She settled on fisting her already bloody hands and sending him a deathly glare. ‘Okay,’ she thought to herself, ‘it’s go time.’  
Not wasting any time, Ophelia whipped her fist out from behind her and used the nail to stab him in the head. She tried to aim for the temple, but the element of surprise could only give her so much leighway. The nail ended up piercing his cheek because he was able to pull her hand down in time to prevent causing serious damage, but his grip fell when her fist pushed the nail all the way through. The knife in his hand skidded away towards the kitchen as he finally lost consciousness.  
Ophelia quickly scrambled back as his body fell to the floor, pushing her chair over in the process. She basically tripped as she continued to push herself away from Philip, just determined to get herself the hell out of there.  
Philip let out a low, strained groan before clenching and unclenching his fists. ‘Jesus christ!’ Ophelia exclaimed in her head, nearly rolling her eyes at the irony of the situation. ‘How is he still alive and moving?!’ She laughed bitterly at the thought- of course the bad guys are hard to kill. Of fucking course.  
Ophelia kept backing up until her back hit the bare kitchen island. She quickly turned around and scrambled across the counter, landing on the other side of the island. She kept backing up until her foot hit something on the ground, sending the object further behind her. She wouldn’t even have looked down if she didn’t hear the familiar metallic clang the object made. She quickly leaned down and grabbed the knife off of the floor, smearing some of her own blood on her hands from the blade in the process.  
The blade dripped in her hands, and Ophelia couldn’t help but inspect it as the crimson drops fell from the sharp end of the blade. A thump sounded from across the room when Ophelia realized her mistake- her back was facing Philip. She turned to see Philip supporting himself on edge of the couch, pulling the nail out agonizingly slow. His breaths were coming out ragged and pained, su much that Ophelia actually felt a bit of pride for one-upping him like that.  
“Hey sweetcheeks,” Ophelia sent a sickeningly sweet smile his way. “You would be prettier if you smiled.” She gave him a wink before backing out of the room as fast as she could without tripping. As she rounded the corner into the entrance hall she could hear his lips as he tried to make a pursuit. The sounds of his ragged breaths and heavy steps only caused her to run faster to the door, trying to forget about the blood gushing out of her leg.  
As her hand clasped around the doorknob, Ophelia narrowed her next decision down into two possible outcomes: she could either run outside and hope that he wouldn’t be fast enough to follow her (which would be hard with the stab wound in her leg) or get rid of Philip once in forall. Though her overall personality had a sense of pacifism surrounding it, she wasn’t going to be stupid and let her intruder go- he’d end up causing more people )and possibly her- more pain. Though she might have guilt and regret later, it would be better to just get the deed done and over with for the good of everyone else.  
With her decision in mind, Ophelia opened and closed the door, faking leaving before moving back to the corner of the entrance hall. “Shit,” She heard Philip mutter, his words slurred by the gaping hole in his cheek. “That stupid bitch will get me fired.” His voice continued to get closer until he was about to round the corner- that was when she moved in for the kill.   
She lunged using one leg and tackled Philip roughly, taking them both down to the floor. Without sparing another moment, Ophelia readjusted her grip on the knife and plunged it into Philip’s back. He let out a guttural scream, certainly loud enough to wake up the neighbors. Good, she could use some backup right about now. Hopefully someone would call the police- she was sure that SHIELD would be thrilled to know that one of their assets was faced with a near-death experience. She laughed to herself at that thought; in these last few weeks she had been in more safety-compromising situations than most people would have in a lifetime. ‘Does this count as living on the edge?’ she thought.  
Ophelia was pulled out of her thoughts as Philip’s body moved slightly below her body. She rolled her eyes- couldn’t the bad guys just die for once? She slowly stood up, giving extra care for her bloody leg. She leaned back and propped herself up on the hallway wall before throwing her left- unharmed- foot back and propelling it forward, letting it collide with Philip’s side. Another groan escaped his lips and she smiled in satisfaction.   
A few more kicks and many moans and groans later, Ophelia decided that Philip had enough of her acts of violence and that the authorities would take care of the rest. She figured that she would start feeling guilty soon, and she didn’t want to feel worse because she gave him another round of kicks. She figured that whatever the United States federal prison would do with him was going to bring more than enough punishment to his crazed soul.  
“Oh, and by the way-” Ophelia turned back towards Philip, looking down at the man’s mangled body before spitting on his face. “I’m a hufflepuff, not a gryffindor. Get your facts straight.” With that, she opened the door yet again and closed it behind her limping self. She collapsed onto the wooden porch, splinters of wood poking eagerly at her exposed skin. The last things she heard before passing out from bloodloss were the sounds of sirens and panicked voices shouting. Then everything went black.


	4. How I Met You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia makes her first friend.

The sun shined down over the bright city of DC, including one small cafe in the downtown district where Ophelia and Steve were meeting for the second time. Steve pulled out her chair behind her- of course he did, that gentleman- and she plopped down onto the metal seat. He then walked around the table and took the seat across from hers, both within lines of the sun’s rays.  
“It’s nice to finally meet you again, ma’am.” At any other time, Ophelia would have swooned at the man’s politeness, especially since the man that was currently talking to her was none other than Steve Rogers. But, since it was Steve Rogers himself talking to her, Ophelia found the power within herself to hold back her urges. She was determined not to embarrass herself- too much- in front of her first childhood hero.  
“Oh, please, call me Ophelia.”  
“Ophelia,” Steve smiled to himself, mulling her name over in his head. “It’s nice to meet you again.”  
“Likewise.” She held out her hand and received a firm shake- the type that her father would have thought came from a strong, worthy man. (Let’s be real- we all know that Steve is worthy of everything.)  
“Thank you.” He gave her a nod before continuing, “So Fury has informed me of the basics of your situation, but it was all a bit vague. You don’t have to answer anything if you don’t want to, btu I just wanted to know a bit more to get a better handle on the situation. After all, Fury assigned be to be your official caretaker.  
Ophelia wasn’t sure whether she wanted to strangle or hug Fury for his actions, so she filed those thoughts away for another time. Instead she focused on what exactly she wanted to tell Steve. Obviously if Fury hadn’t told him about her being from another universe she wasn’t supposed to tell, but she couldn’t help but be tempted by the idea. If she did tell, she could help Steve find her favorite character of all time- Bucky Barnes.   
Knowing that her was out there in the world somewhere was quite surreal to her, but she forced herself to get over that and think of how to help him. Yes, of course she was going to help him- she needed to help him. Knowing that he was out there in the world suffering on his own did not bode well with her, so it was only a matter of how she would help in her mind.  
“Okay Steve,” She leaned back in her chair, stretching her feet out under the table, “I most certainly know that there are going to be agents tailing us for a while at the very least, so I don’t think I can tell you anything major for a while. But let me tell you this- I want to help you. I know that you’re not having the best time right now, and it isn’t going to be any easier for you here on out. However, I think that I can help you get through these coming times, and if we’re lucky enough, I might be able to help you find Bucky.”  
Steve’s eyes widened at the mention of his friend’s name. “You know who Bucky is?”  
Ophelia pointed to her head with both hands, a small smile forming on her face. “I know too much, remember?”  
“With all due respect, ma’a- Ophelia, but how do I know this isn’t some scheme that Fury came up with?”  
“I don’t think you can be sure, at least not for a while. I can’t risk blowing my cover and getting myself in trouble with what’s left of SHIELD; they’re the only protection I’ve got. And even if I did tell you, you would never believe me, so I’m not even going to bother with my story right now.” She sighed before leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table, “What I can tell you is that I may have an inkling of a clue as to how to find your friend. It may not be much, but I hope it will be enough to find him. Believe me, I want him to be safe as much as you do.”  
His eyes hardened as he looked her over, trying to see if she was lying. “I doubt that. If you really know this much, surely you know that he meant a whole lot to me. He was- is -my best friend.”  
“Look,” She calmly said, “I know my words may not sound true, but they are. I cannot fully explain myself right now unless I wanted to be killed, and that would be a bit counterproductive, now wouldn’t it?”  
“I guess so. But please,” Steve leaned forward, his head level with hers, “don’t assume that you care about him as much as I do. You’re just lying to yourself if you say that.”  
“Noted.”  
***  
The first couple weeks that Ophelia and Steve worked together were a bit rocky, but they (barely) made it work.  
“Why can’t you just tell me where you are getting this information?! Then maybe we would be getting somewhere!” Steve threw the papers in his hands into the air in frustration, his face nearly red with anger.  
“I told you, I can’t!”  
“Can’t, or won’t? Didn’t you say you cared about him and his safety?!”  
“I’m sorry you asshole-” Yeah, she just called her childhood hero an asshole- unfortunately, that’s what happens when you spend a little too much time with a person in a room filled with tension. “But I just can’t! I’m not sure what would happen, and I wouldn’t be able to guarantee that I would come out alive! And then you wouldn’t even have an informant! At least I’m doing something, you jerk!”  
Sam picked the perfect time to walk into the room, three small bags of chips cradled in one arm and a bag of subs in the other. “What’d I miss now?”

“Do you even care about this? Him?”  
“Of course I do! Why wouldn’t I?” Ophelia was nearly seething at this point, completely done with Steve’s antics over the past couple of days. He’d been doing nothing but pestering her with the hopes of getting the information out of her. It was a good thing that she was stubborn, because Steve was pretty damn scary when he was angry- and though she would never admit it to herself- pretty persuasive too.  
“You don’t even know him!”  
“Sam doesn’t and he cares!”  
“That’s because he’d my friend! What’s your excuse?”  
Ophelia frowned, trying to keep tears from gathering in the corners of her eyes. How dare he accuse her of not caring? When she was growing up, her comic books were all she ever had. Of course she cared! “I can’t tell you!”  
“Of course you can’t!” Steve threw back, sarcasm heavy in his voice. “You have a perfectly good reason, you just don’t want to share it!”  
“You know what Steve? I’m done fighting with you today.” She walked to the door of his apartment, turning the doorknob slowly with the hopes that he would call her back and apologize. He didn’t.

“Steve, please, please just drop it!” He had been asking her about her time she’d spent in the SHIELD house before was moved into DC under his care. Ophelia really didn’t want to relive those awful memories, not now, not ever. It was already bad enough that she had to relive it every time she closed her eyes and went to sleep.  
“How do you expect me to trust you if you never tell me anything? How do you expect me to believe anything you say when you can’t even tell me what went on while you were gone? You weren’t even gone that long- it’s not like anything big must have happened!”  
“You know what- fuck you Steve! You don’t know anything!” Tears started streaming down her face, first just one single tear with more following in suit.   
“Why can’t you just tell me? It’s not like I’ll tell anyone!”  
“It’s not that easy, Steve!”  
“Then make it easy!” Steve’s breaths were labored, coming out in angry huffs. All he wanted was his friend back, and this was what he was getting?  
And then she exploded. “Hydra came, you dumbass! They came and did so many awful things- they tried to make me eat my neighbor, Steve! My neighbor! What type of fucked up person does that? And then they were going to take me with them and torture the information out of me! I barely escaped!” She was full on sobbing now, for every time she blinked she saw the sinister face of her attacker. “And now you just expect me to tell you, just like that? I’m sorry but I just can’t!”  
Steve’s eyes softened as he listened to her words between the sobs. He had no idea that it could have been that bad- it only made it worse that she was just a civilian. She didn’t know how to deal with trauma like he or any other trained agent did.  
“I’m sorry,” She sobbed, “I’m sorry.”

“Ophelia, can I open the door?” Steve knocked on her front door gently, listening carefully for noises on the other side of the wood. He could hear small sniffles from somewhere in the apartment, and for some reason it saddened him that she was crying. Though he didn’t know her that well, knowing it was his fault that she was crying got to him.  
“What do you want?” Her voice was hoarse through the door.  
“I came to apologize.”  
The sound of unlocking locks rand throughout the apartment building’s hallway as Ophelia unlocked all the locks on her door before opening it to a slit. “Yeah?”  
“Ophelia, I’m really sorry about what I said. I’ve been very insensitive to you these past couple of weeks. I had no right to say what I did.”  
Some more sniffs followed her response of, “go on…”  
“It was completely wrong to push you the way I did, especially since you were helping me out of your own free will.”  
Ophelia opened her door a bit more, just enough so he could make out her tear stained cheeks in her darkened apartment. Her eyes were puffy and red, which only added to Steve’s guilt. “Thank you for apologizing.”  
“Is there any possible way you can forgive me?”  
Her eyes softened at the vulnerability of his voice, and she knew that she would have to forgive him. After all, it wasn’t his fault alone that all this happened. “Yeah, Steve, I forgive you.”  
“Thank you Ophelia.”  
An awkward silence ensued as the pair stood in front of each other, both with reddened eyes. “Hey Steve?”  
“Yeah?”  
“I kind of don’t want to be alone right now- I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t need you to, but- can you please stay with me for a bit?”  
Of course she was scared. She had lost the sense of security that Steve gave her the moment they started their fight, leading to many sleepless nights on her end. Hell, she had been sporting dark bags under her eyes for the past couple of weeks- not that anyone really noticed. Well, Sam did, but he notices everything. Regardless, she just wanted to feel safe again.  
“Of course I would.” She fully opened up the door and let him pass by her and into her apartment. Though it wasn’t the first time that he had entered, he still made a point to wait to follow Ophelia before he walked any further into her home.   
She led him past the kitchen and into the living room before plopping herself down on the couch ungracefully, him following soon after. Their breathing was labored from their time spent dwelling in their own thoughts since their last fight, bad memories facing the both of them in that time. Though neither of them would admit it, it helped to be in each other’s company.  
“I’m sorry for putting you through this Steve.”  
“It’s alright. I’m sorry too.”  
“Really?”  
He sighed. “Yeah. You said that you were in a tough situation and I didn’t try to help you though you were already helping me.”  
“But I still should have been working harder to help you.”  
“You couldn’t help the fact that things weren’t in your control. By what you’ve said, you have your own stuff to worry about.”  
She threw her head back until it collided with the back of the cushioned couch. “Yeah, I do. It sucks.”  
“Is there anything I can do? To help?”  
“To be honest,” She signed, “I wish there was something you could do. But I don’t even know where to start.” As much as she hoped it was possible, Ophelia doubted that Steve would know a way for her to return to her own universe.   
“Do you want to talk about it at least?”  
“It’s just, I know I have this power to help others, but no matter how much I try to convince myself that it’s good that I’m here because of them, I still want to go back home. I don’t belong here, Steve. I really don’t.”  
“Why wouldn’t you belong here? You have as much right to be here as I do!”  
“But there’s the thing- I was never destined to be here like you were. I’m not from here, I’m not supposed to be here, and though good things may come out of this, I should be trying to find my way back home.”  
“Don’t you think it’s worth it to be here if you’re helping people?”  
Her mouth turned downwards into a grim expression. “I don’t know anymore.”  
“Well, no matter what you do, I’ll try my best to be at your side from now on. It’s the least that I can do.”  
Knowing that he supported her was more than enough for Ophelia. She smiled for the first time in days before looking over to her newfound friend. “Hey, you know what?”   
“Yeah?”  
“I’m glad you’re here.”  
“I’m glad I’m here too.”


	5. Quality Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia spends some quality time with Steve Rogers.

“What were the two choices again?” Steve shouted from the kitchen, the sounds of popcorn kernels emitting from the microwave behind him. His hands were planted on his hips as he waited for her reply, looking back every few seconds to check on the heating food.  
“The Princess Bride or Tarzan” Ophelia shouted back from his couch, her eyes never leaving her phone. Her fingers scrolled through the digital list of movies Steve had yet to watch, her brows furrowed by the immensity of it.  
For the past week, Ophelia had been getting settled into her apartment in DC. After SHIELD’s slip up which resulted in her run in with the Hydra agent, Fury had been on high alert, not to mention paranoid. Setting her up in an apartment next to Steve’s seemed like a good idea to him at the time, and Ophelia wasn’t complaining. She needed to know that she was safe, especially when the nightmares set in.  
“What was Tarzan about?”   
“A boy growing up with apes. It’s an adorable movie.”  
“And the other one?”  
“An absolute classic.”  
“Let’s go with the classic. Plus, didn’t you say earlier that The Princess Bride was, and I quote, ‘one of the best movies of all time’?”  
“I admit to no such thing! Blasphemy!”  
“Is that even a word?” She could hear the grin in his joking voice.  
“As a matter of fact, yes it is!”  
Before Steve could voice yet another sassy reply, the microwave started to ding. He shook his head and smiled to himself before opening up its door, glad that he had made this friend. Sure, it was a bit awkward at first because he was supposed to be guarding the girl, but she seemed to genuinely care for him like no one had in a long time. Not since Bucky.  
Ophelia rolled over onto her back, squinting at the tv as she tried to get netflix to work. She continued to click the down button, moving her hand in various poses in attempt to make a connection between the remote and the tv. Steve found her like that, rolled onto her back hanging over the couch, arm outstretched with the remote.  
“Need a hand?”  
Ophelia huffed. “Nah, I’m good,” She clicked the remote a few more times until the familiar roaring lion appeared on the tv. “Finally!” Sitting up, she scooted over to the left side of the couch to make room for her friend.  
“Finally. I didn’t think you could do it!” He joked, taking a seat on the other end. Ophelia used her foot to kick Steve’s thigh playfully before retracting it back. Pulling a blanket over her body, she curled up into the cushions, eager with anticipation. This was her favorite childhood movie- it gave her a sense of comfort that they still had it here in the marvel universe.  
“You ready to see the greatest movie of all time Steve?”  
“Let’s do this.”  
Before long, the electronic beeps of the boy’s video game filled Steve’s living room, immersing them in the movie. The time passed quickly as Steve and Ophelia watched as princess Buttercup and her love battled together, making their way through thick and thin to find each other again. Steve rolled his eyes as the whole ‘as you wish’ scene went down, and laughed when the one man kept on saying ‘inconceivable’- it was a goofy, hearty laugh. Ophelia settled with watching him out of the corner of her eye, finding his reactions to the feature much more interesting than the movie itself. She watched as he chuckled at the ‘bandit’s’ antics and how he let out a soft gasp as the bandit was revealed to be Buttercup’s love. As the movie went on, Ophelia felt a smile growing wider on her face, just happy to see the tired, emotionally exhausted man beside her experience happiness for the first time in a long while. She watched through her slitted eyes as he continued to attentively watch the film before them, right up until her eyes tiredly closed.  
“Ophelia?” She annoyedly groaned, snuggling further into the softness of the sofa. “You fell asleep in my apartment. It’s time to go home.”  
“Say’s who?” She mumbled into the cushion.  
“Say’s me,” A shadow fell over her face, and Ophelia could only guess that Steve was standing over her. “Now, let’s get you home, alright?”  
“Can’t I just stay here?” Ophelia was not in the mood to move. Her limbs were in comfortable spots and she had not felt this safe since she had arrived in this world. There must have been something about chilling out with one of her favorite heroes that made her feel this way.  
“Sorry, but you’re sleeping in a bed tonight.   
“Ugh, why do you do this to me Steve?”  
“You should get used to disappointment.” He giggled at his reference to the movie before continuing. “But seriously, in the end everybody regrets sleeping on the couch.” Suddenly, Ophelia was being hefted into the air by two strong arms. A feeling of uncertainty flooded her body for that second as she questioned herself if she was comfortable with Steve carrying her home. However, as her body rested against his heat-radiating chest, all her concerns were dispersed. She trusted him. Surely he could see her home this one time, especially since she literally lived in the same apartment building.  
“Thank’s Steve,” She mumbled into his warm torso, holding back her urge to ask if she was too heavy in her arms. Her anxieties got the best of her, even in this exhausted state.  
Steve carried her carefully in his arms as he made his way to the end of the hall, stopping when he reached Ophelia’s door. “Do you have a spare key?”  
“It’s on top of the doorframe.”   
He reached up for the key with one hand as he cradled her body to his chest with the other. His fingers soon closed around the small metal object, letting him slide the key into the lock to unlock it. As quietly as he could, he opened the door and crept through her empty apartment and into her bare bedroom. He gently placed her sleepy form on the bed before pulling her shoes and socks off, trying to make her the most comfortable she could be.  
“Do you want me to take off your jacket too?”  
“Yes please.” She mumbled into her pillow, lifting her arms in the air for him to pull off her sleeves. She sat up for a moment, allowing him to take off the rest of her jacket before lying back down. He threw the garment onto the chair in the corner of the room before pulling the heavy covers over her, encasing her in a blissful warmth.  
***  
Steve looked up from the newspaper to see Ophelia trudging through the front door and into the room, her hair a rat’s nest on her head. Her clothes were wrinkled and disheveled, obviously from her night’s sleep.  
“Have fun last night?”  
Numerous groans escaped her lips before she gave an actual reply. “I’m soooooooooo tired, Steve,” she whined, “how could one be so tired?”  
“You slept for like,” Steve glanced down at his watch before looking back up at the girl in front of him, “nine hours. You know that the required amount is eight, right?”  
“Kiss my ass, Steve.”  
“Someone’s grouchy, huh?”  
Ophelia turned away from the coffee maker that she was currently using to give him a sickly sweet smile. “What was your first clue?”  
“I think it was your hair, to be quite honest.”  
She grabbed the nearest thing that her hands could grab- a hand towel- and chucked it at his face. “Don’t be fucking rude!”  
Steve chuckled, catching the object before it made contact with his face. “You missed.”  
“You know you almost-” Ophelia’s tirade was interrupted when his phone started to vibrate on the table.  
Steve reached for the phone and flipped it open- he’d opted for a simpler flip phone, though Tony was constantly trying to upgrade it to a StarkPhone- a loud voice coming from the other end. He quickly held it up to his ear, cringing when he heard that it was Fury’s voice. Standing up from his seat he looked at Ophelia and mouthed ‘I gotta take this’ before walking into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.  
Ophelia turned back to the coffee maker mumbling to herself, used to Steve’s sporadic phone calls at this point. “You know Steve- you almost had me fooled with all that sweet talk in the movies and comics and such. But I know what you really are,” She smiled to herself before continuing her mumbles, “a smartass.”   
***  
Steve ended up leaving that night before they could continue to watch their movie marathon. He assured Ophelia that when he came back they would have another Disney themed marathon, which made her agree to his leave of absence.  
A few hours after he left for his mission Ophelia had spread herself out on the couch in her apartment, a computer in her lap and a pad and pen in her hands, searching the web for any useful information. She first typed in ‘Marvel Comics’, and was annoyed to be greeted with an empty page asking her to reword her search. ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ came up with similar results. ‘Chris Evans’ came up with a bunch of facebook profiles (was facebook really necessary in two universes) in which none of them were celebrities. There was Chris Evans from Toronto, Canada, and another from the Phillipines, and a handful more from Great Britain, but none of them were the Chris Evans she was looking for. The same happened when she searched Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Scarlett Johansson, and the rest of the MCU cast.   
Okay, she thought to herself, if she couldn’t find information surrounding her universe, than the least she could do was help Steve with his. She thought back to the furthest reaches of her mind, trying to think of all the commercials and teasers that she saw for Civil War with the hopes that she would find a clue. There were some obvious scenes, like the airport scene and the avengers tower scenes, but those weren’t going to happen for another two years or so. Useless.   
She mentally cursed herself for trying to avoid spoilers like the plague, thinking that it would ruin the whole experience for her. If only she knew what was in stake for her back then; at least then she would have been able to gather as much information as possible. Now she was just stuck with fragments and pieces of information that made little to no sense.  
Fine, she thought, maybe she was going to have to take a much different approach. “Okay, if I were a paranoid, frightened, and frankly depressed super soldier from the forties, where would I go?” The first thing Ophelia typed in was ‘winter soldier sightings’, which led to thousands of (fake) accounts from civilians claiming to have seen the famous assassin. ‘James Buchanan Barnes’ came up with a few less results, but they were mostly history papers from kids with the occasional articles about the Howling Commandos. ‘Bucky Barnes Winter Soldier’ resulted in several pop-up ads and lots of conspiracy articles based off of some eyewitness accounts from when Steve first found out that the soldier’s identity, claiming that they heard Steve call him Bucky. She shrugged to herself- they weren’t wrong. Maybe some of their information was going to be correct.  
Hours later Ophelia stumbled off of her couch and towards her bedroom, her eyes glazed over. She did a lot of reading that night and she was officially done researching for a while. As she kicked off her socks and pants she fell onto comforter, which was surprisingly comfortable to have been supplied by the building. She rolled over to the top of the bed and carefully placed herself under the covers, encasing herself in a warm cocoon. As she drifted off to sleep, the last thoughts swirling around in her head were of the broken man in need of help and of how much she wanted to help him.   
She’d try searching the web again tomorrow.


	6. You Found Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All their work pays off.

They found him on a rainy tuesday afternoon. Ophelia and Steve had been in his apartment, sprawled out on the floor surrounded by maps and official SHIELD reports. (Normally civilians weren’t allowed to see said information, but Fury thought it was pointless to keep her away from information that she already knew about.) She had spent the last half an hour sifting through various sighting reports and street camera photos, hoping to catch even a glimpse of Bucky.  
“Okay, I’m making some tea. Wait, do you have any tea in your apartment?”  
“Yep, it’s in the jar next to the sugar packets.” Ophelia picked herself up off of the ground before walking over to the adjacent kitchen, opening up what she thought was the right cabinet. “No, to your left.”  
“This one?” She took two steps to her left and opened up another cabinet, searching high and low.  
“You’re looking too low. Look up.” There, on the absolute highest shelf, were the tea packets.  
“Are you kidding me right now?” Now, Ophelia was not an overly short person, but she was certainly far from tall. Standing at a content five foot five feet, she had never felt shorter in her life.  
“Sorry Ophelia.” Steve giggled, a small smile spreading on his face. “I’m sorry. I guess I’ve overlooked your problem.”  
“Very funny Steve. Can you please help me a little?”  
“This is sort of low of me to say, but no thanks.”  
“Fucking comedian, you are.” Ophelia mumbled to herself as she started to climb onto the counter. After a fair amount to reaching and balancing, her fingertips finally closed around the tea jar. “Ha! I did it without your help!”  
“Sorry I came up short.”  
“Stop it you jerk!” She took a dry sponge from the sink and threw it at Steve’s head, determined to whack some sense into him.  
“Ooh, someone has a short fuse!”  
Ophelia pinched the bridge of her nose while sifting through the assortment of teas Steve- that little shit- had. “You feeling chamomile, Steve? I sort of am.” He gave a nod from his place on the floor, and she set off to work. She turned the faucet on hot and went to grab a pot while the water was heating up. After a solid minute it reached her desired temperature, and Ophelia began to fill the pot up. She then danced over to the stove, placing the pot over the heating circle.   
“So, you find anything useful yet?” Steve looked up, a hopeful look in his eyes.  
“Sadly, no. Sorry man.”  
“It’s alright. I’m just glad you’re here to help.”  
Ophelia smiled- at least some good was coming out of her messed-up situation. “I’m glad I’m here too. Thank you for letting me help, Steve. I really appreciate it.”  
“No problem. I just wish we could find him already.”  
“Me too. I wish the universe would just give us a break.” Ophelia inwardly groaned at her mention of the divine- she didn’t think the universe liked her very much. If they did, they had a very cruel sense of humor.  
At that point the kettle was whistling, and she turned the stove off. She gently poured the water into a jar- Steve was laking in the teapot department- and placed the tea bag in. “Glass or plastic cup?”  
“Plastic please!”  
Ophelia tucked the jar of tea into the crook of her arm and grabbed two plastic cups before making her way back to the living area. She carefully bent down and placed the jar on the coffee table before pouring the chamomile tea into two cups.  
“Thank’s Ophelia, you’re the best.”  
“I know I am, thank you.” Ophelia jokingly fluffed her hair before flipping it off of her shoulder in attempt to act posh.   
Her and Steve moved onto his couch, both finding a comfortable position on top of the cushions. In the end her feet rested on his lap as they both sipped the warm, welcoming tea.  
“Hey Ophelia?”  
“What’s up?”  
“Why are you so interested in helping me find Bucky?”  
“Steve, we’ve talked about th-”  
“I’m serious. You always avoid the question when I ask. I just want to know why.”  
Ophelia sighed- she was going to have to explain herself sooner or later. “You know I know too much, right?” Steve nodded. “So I’ve known about you two since I was little. I knew the story of Bucky Barnes before the Winter Soldier, and in my mind I know that they are two different people. I always knew that Bucky was a good person, and good people don’t deserve what he is going through. Not Bucky- especially not Bucky.”  
“You really think he still is a good person?”  
“I know he is. There is a lot I can’t tell you, but I can tell you truthfully and wholeheartedly that your friend isn’t gone. Sure, he’d going to be shaken up and broken, but that’s okay.”  
Steve hummed in agreement before taking another sip of his tea. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes watching the raindrops slide down the windows until his cellphone rang. “This is Rogers,”  
Ophelia leaned into Steve, trying to hear who was on the other side of the phone, but he pushed her off gently. She scrunched up her nose in disagreement, but kept silent. It seemed as though something major was happening because a look of disbelief crossed Steve’s features.  
“You’re sure it’s him?”  
“Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes.” Steve quickly hung up the phone and jumped off of the couch, leaving Ophelia in a state of confusion on the couch.   
“What’s going on?”  
“Sam thinks he found Bucky. Come on, get your coat, we gotta go.”  
“Are you really okay with me coming with you? Isn’t this supposed to be, you know, a personal thing?”  
“After all the time you’ve invested in the search, don’t you think that you’re entitled to come along?”  
“Well, when you put it like that,” Ophelia stood and walked over to where she stashed her jacket. She shook out all of the wrinkles of her leather jacket before sliding it on, following Steve out the door. “Do you think you’re ready to see him again?”  
“I’ve never been more ready for anything in my entire life.”  
***  
It was a long drive from DC to nowheresville, New York. The trees and shrubs were impossibly green, stark in comparison to the unhallowed grey site. Though it was merely a ghost of what it once was, Ophelia still shivered at the sight of the compound; the thought of what they had done to people- to Bucky- terrified her. She could almost hear the gut-wrenching screams that once rang through its halls.  
“Steve, Ophelia, hey!” Sam literally walked out of the bushes next to Steve’s car, some twigs and leaves caught on his jacket. “I’ve been staking this out for a while now, and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to run.”  
“You hear that Steve? Maybe he’s finally ready to see you!” Ophelia smiled up at her friend, brightness radiating off of her very being- all she wanted was for her friend to be happy. She was, quite literally, a beacon of light in this dark and gloomy day.  
“Yeah, maybe. Let’s get moving. I’ll go front and Sam- you’ve got the back.” Steve paused, finally meeting his small friend’s eyes. “You be careful, alright? No wandering off.”  
“Pfft, of course I won’t. That’s, like, rule number one in every movie ever. You have nothing to worry about.” Of course she wouldn’t wander off- she’d seen way too many movies where the innocent girl wanders off only to get eaten or killed off in the next five minutes. Ophelia was not going to be one of those girls- not if she had any say in it.  
“Okay then. Let’s move out.” Ophelia tried her best not to gawk at the level of authority in Steve’s voice as he spoke- no wonder people easily followed his orders.   
She took quiet steps behind Steve, careful of where she was stepping. Though it was more than likely that Bucky knew they had arrived, she still didn’t want to spook him with any loud noi-  
CRACK! The trio cringed and Ophelia quickly recoiled. She looked down to see a now shattered vial of some dark green liquid under her boot. Both Steve and Sam spared her a long look, and she blushed before murmuring a small ‘sorry’.   
Sam shook his head and muttered something under his breath before continuing to walk behind you, making a point to walk all the way around the broken glass rather than over it. What a smartass. She continued to walk in front of him, this time a bit slower just to piss Sam off. (What? Can’t a girl have a bit of fun?)  
A metallic clang interrupted the trio’s thoughts, causing all three of their heads to turn towards a door left slightly ajar towards the end of the hall. Steve gave Ophelia and Sam a firm nodd before heading into the room, his friends following in suit. The door let out a low creak when Steve pushed it open. What met their eyes was a sad sight.  
For some reason, Ophelia couldn’t look away from the broken man on the ground. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of her broken and bloodied body, no matter how hard she tried. There was just something so incredibly sad about the whole situation- here she was, meeting her all-time favorite fictional character. The catch? He was physically and emotionally wrecked. He’s been through far too much and just thinking about it made Ophelia’s mood depleted faster than you could say ‘upsetting’.   
She stood next to the door as Steve drew closer to his friend with calm, calculated movements. He looked down at his friend who continued to look at the ground sadly as if he had disappointed it. His eyes were glassy and far away, the rest of his body hunched over.  
“Buck?” Steve’s voice was rough and gruff- Ophelia guessed seeing his friend like this was taking a toll on him. “Do you know who I am?”  
“You’re Steve Rogers.” Bucky’s voice, scratchy from underuse, rang throughout the room. “Your mom’s name was Sarah. You used to wear newspapers in your shoes.” He smiled to himself as he recalled the memory, simultaneously striking a chord in her heart. He was trying so hard to remember- so very hard. Something about that was incredibly heartwarming to her, and as she looked down at him she sent a silent prayer to the universe that things would work out in Bucky’s life from here on out.  
Ophelia pressed her lips together, not sure whether to be ecstatic that she was witnessing this famed reunion or uncomfortable since she was intruding their moment. She would have asked Steve whether he wanted her to leave the room or not, but she decided not to break the silence. God forbid she would do something to make the situation more uncomfortable.   
“I don’t want to run anymore Steve.” His voice was thick with emotion- probably all the emotions that had been pent up over the last ninety years. “I’m tired of running. I’m tired.”  
Steve sadly smiled down at his long lost friend before taking slow strides forward, careful not to spook Bucky. He leaned over and offered his hand; Bucky examined it for a minute before grasping it. Steve pulled him up, and there was a silent exchange between the two. Steve clapped his hand on Bucky’s shoulder, giving him a soft and assuring smile.  
“You won’t have to run. Not anymore.”  
Ophelia, at this point, was overflowing with feels. She was, after all, a huge fangirl. She tried very hard to keep her expression blank, though, when the two men turned over to her. “Buck, this is my friend Ophelia. She helped me find you.”  
“Oh, well, Steve did most of the searching. I don’t know why he said that, I was merely tagging along for the ride, I mean, ugh,”   
Embarrassment: 1 Ophelia: 0   
Ophelia was never very good with keeping her chill around celebrities, hell, it took her a couple of days to get over the surreality of knowing Steve. “Uh, sorry about that. Hi, my name’s Ophelia. It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Barnes.” ‘Mr. Barnes? What are you, five?’ She mentally facepalmed at this- could she ever give herself a break?  
Bucky have her a hard look and a once-over before giving her a firm nod. Good. She had officially made it onto his do-not-kill list.  
***  
The car ride back to their apartment building was not fun. (Was it mentioned that they were driving in one of those old, blue buggies?) While Steve drove and Sam insisted to take shotgun, Ophelia and Bucky were forced to squish themselves in the back seat. It wouldn’t have been too bad if Sam hadn’t refused to move his seat up for Bucky, but life wasn’t always that easy. That led the enormous super soldier with a choice: continue to be squished by Sam or move closer to her. Bucky chose the latter, letting out a small apology as his body pushed hers further into the back door of the car.   
It took every ounce of self control that Ophelia had to not go batshit on Sam when he refused to listen to their pleas to move his seat up. The smug bastard only smirked while watching the road ahead. After about the fifth time that Ophelia started her pleas, Sam only responded with a smirk on his face. “He was the one that took my wheel in the first place.”  
“Sam!” Ophelia rolled her eyes, her knees tightly pressed up against Steve’s seat, “It was one time, like, months ago!”  
“It was my damn car!” He huffed, “I loved that car!”  
“Someone knows how to hold a grudge.” Ophelia chided, shaking her head.  
“How did you even know about that in the first place?” She didn’t reply. Ophelia was silent for the rest of the ride back to her and Steve’s apartment building, opting to watch the grey skies up above releasing the small raindrops that would later hit the exterior of the car. She was stuck in her own thoughts, thinking of Steve and Sam and Bucky. And, worst of all, she thought of home. She wouldn’t help but wonder what was happening back home? How much time had passed over there? Were her parents worried about her? Were her friends missing her? Were they looking for her, not knowing that she was about as helpless to get back as could be.   
Suddenly, the rain that she used to like so much growing up just continued to make her feel glum. The way things were looking for her now wasn’t good. Would the universe ever work in her favor?


	7. Settling In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first few days were… interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was a bit short. I was having trouble writing it for nearly a month. On the bright side, I have at least three more chapters after this finished, and past chapter twenty planned out!

The first morning Ophelia woke up from her not-so peaceful slumber when a loud masculine scream pierced through the building. Her eyes snapped open and she immediately threw the covers off of her body, not caring about the chilly air attacking her body. Another scream sounded as she ran threw her living room and out into the main hall, as she didn’t bother to pause to put her shoes on. This was urgent. This was more important.  
She listened to the third scream to decipher which apartment the pained cries were coming from, and her stomach dropped when she realized that they were coming from Steve’s apartment. She practically rammed into the door before knocking harshly on the wood while jiggling the doorknob. She could faintly hear talking from inside the home.  
“They’re coming, Steve, they’re coming for me!” Bucky’s voice shattered Ophelia’s heart, sounding so broken and panicked. “They can’t find me with you- they’ll kill you! They’ll take me again!”  
“Buck, it’s okay! You’re safe here! No one is going to get you!” Steve’s voice was softer and less aggressive though still as intense as his friend’s.   
“You don’t understand! Please, just let me go!” She heard a fumble occur behind the walls of their apartment, causing panicked thoughts to run through her mind. What if Bucky or Steve hurt one another? What if Bucky left? How would he manage on his own if he did? Clearly he was in no state to cope on his own. Not healthily.  
“Steve, Bucky- please let me in!” She knocked on the door softer a few more times, knowing fully well that their developed ears could hear her over their ruckus. “Please, let me help.” Her voice was small, uncertainty coursing throughout her entire being. What skills did she have that would help them? She never thought that she would amount to much, but this was just making her self-doubt worse.   
‘Stop it!’ She thought to herself, ‘Bucky is in pain! This is no time for your self-pitying bullshit!’ Her breaths became more normal as she continued to chant this to herself, finding reason within her own thoughts.   
It seemed as though things were calming down on the other side of the door too, she concluded, as there were no more slams coming from within the apartment. “Ophelia?” Steve’s voice called, careful and calculating.   
“Yeah, I’m here.”  
“Do you think you can give us some time to cool off?”  
“Of course Steve. I hope… I just hope that things will be alright.”  
“Me too, me too.”  
***  
The second morning Ophelia’s eyes opened to see her dimly lit room. She laid still for a moment, making a point to listen for any outside noises, wondering if more screams had woken her from her slumber. When no sounds ensued she relaxed a bit, snuggling closer into the covers. However, her bliss was soon interrupted by a persistent knocking on her front door.   
“Of course,” She grumbled, rolling out of bed. “One second!” She made her way over to her closet, throwing a pair of mom jeans and a red tee on over her undergarments. She didn’t even bother with her hair, already familiar with how her hair was most other mornings. She padded over to the main hall and opened her front door, revealing a pensive Steve.  
“Good morning sleepyhead, how are you this morning?”  
“Horrified that you could be this awake this early,” She grumbled. “What’s up?”  
Steve followed her back into her apartment as she made her way into the kitchen, taking a stand in front of her coffee maker. He let her make her coffee, knowing that she would want to be fully awake for what he was going to tell her. “Ophelia, I think Bucky’s ready to actually meet you.”  
“Oh, so all that time in the car coming back I spent snuggled up against him didn’t count?”  
Steve stood still for a minute, a frown on his face. “You know what I mean.”  
Ophelia gulped down her cup of coffee before placing the mug down, using her fingers to comb through her hair. She deemed her hair good enough after a few seconds of brushing (the perks of having shorter hair) and took one last sip of her coffee before putting it in the sink. “Of course I do. I was just giving you a hard time.” She gave him a playful smile, sending him a wink. “Let’s go.”  
She opened the door for Steve, letting him out first before locking the door behind her. “Before we get to my apartment though, there are a couple things that you should know.”  
“Of course.”  
“Okay,” He started, leaning on her front door, “He doesn’t like loud noises, or a lot of human contact. Especially when it is a surprise. He does not like surprises. At all.” He pointed to the almost healed cut on his upper brow. “It was worse this morning. I accidentally walked in to check on him when he was still in bed.”  
“I would have done the same.” She chuckled until noticing Steve’s stoic expression. “What? I value my sleep very much.” He just gave her the whole ‘America is disappointed in you’ look, making her sober up. “Okay, go on?”  
“He doesn’t remember a whole lot, so try to keep away from talking about any kind of history- he won’t get it.”  
“I guess I have to cancel my history class, now don’t I?” Steve just rolled his eyes. “What? Just trying to make the mood a bit lighter.”  
“Remind me never to let you anywhere near Clint.”  
“Aw, come on, you know you love me!”  
His eyes softened. Though he hadn’t known Ophelia for more than six months, she already held a close spot to his heart. There was something about her goofy, caring self that made Steve feel better, even on a bad day. “Yeah, I do.” Standing up from the door, he threw his arm around her smaller frame before walking her down the hall, stopping in front of his door. “You ready?”  
“You know it.”  
Steve opened the door loud enough to alert Bucky that they were back, not wanting to spook his friend. Leading her into his apartment, Ophelia took note of how many things were broken, promising herself that she would get them replaced as soon as possible. So far, by her count, Steve was in need of a new stool, clock, coffee maker (the horror!) and radio. Yeah, she could totally replace them.  
Ophelia and Steve stopped at the foot of the couch Bucky sat on, staring straight ahead towards the window. “Hey Buck, this is Ophelia. She was one of the people that helped me find you.” Bucky nodded towards them, and she took that as a sign that she could speak.  
“Do you have anything in specific that you want me to call you?” Ophelia smiled at him, trying her absolute hardest to make him know that she was not there to hurt him. (What? She had read the fanfictions- she knew how this was supposed to work! Plus, first impressions are everything!)  
He stilled for a moment before shrugging. “I guess Bucky is fine.” Steve motioned for her to take a seat in the chair opposite the couch and she gladly obliged.  
“Okay then, Bucky, it’s nice to meet you.” She held her hand out with a smile, praying that he wouldn’t make her look like an idiot by not shaking it.  
He stared at her hand for a full ten tense seconds before reaching out and shaking it with his human hand. “So you’re that Ophelia? The one Steve’s been talking about?”  
Pushing down her worries, she said, “Only good things I hope.”  
“Nothing bad,” He replied, easing her worries, “I don’t think Steve has the heart to say anything mean about anyone, much less someone like you.”  
She chuckled, “Yeah, that’s probably true.”  
“You two are already ganging up on me?” Steve playfully scoffed, “Unbelieveable!”  
***  
It happened on the third day. Everything was going swimmingly- Bucky was getting more comfortable around Ophelia (much to her liking), Steve was getting more relaxed, and Ophelia was finally feeling alright with being in this universe (as long as she had friend she told herself she would be fine).   
It was an accident, or at least it was at first. Ophelia was making jokes and she may have been a bit… insensitive without thinking. Bucky immediately stiffened, not sure whether the joke made him upset or relieved by the fact that she was treating him like any other person.   
Steve immediately jumped into action, pulling Ophelia out of the apartment and into the hall. While he wasn’t loud, his whisper was still full of rage. “What did you think you were doing?”  
“I’m so sorry,” She whispered back, “it was an accident!”  
“You have to be more careful Ophelia! We don’t know what will hurt him!”  
This got her a bit mad. “I’m not going to treat him like a child, Steve!” Ophelia whispered loudly. “He already has you babying him; he needs someone to treat him normally!”  
“What do you know about caring for him?”  
“I know that if you treat someone like they’re broken, chances are, they’ll stay broken!”  
“And just how do you know that?”  
“Look, Steve, I just know, alright? Why would I be suggesting this if I didn’t have good intentions?”  
Steve sighed heavily, “I don’t know, I’m sorry.” He noted the tears welling up in Ophelia’s eyes (she never liked to fight with her friends, much less Steve) and pulled her in for a hug. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to push you. I’m just worried about him.”  
“So am I Steve, so am I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	8. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia decides it's time for Steve and Bucky to leave the apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally liked this chapter because I got to explore Ophelia's bisexuality a bit. Since bisexuals are, in my opinion, underrepresented in today's society- and myself being one- it makes me happy to have this written out.

“Come on Steve! I think it will be fun!” Ophelia tugged on Steve’s arm enthusiastically, knowing fully well that he would not move.  
“Why would you want to go out when we could get perfectly good takeout right at the apartment?” Steve groaned, looking down at the small brunette beside him. He frowned at the feeling that this outing was going to happen whether he wanted it to or not.  
“Don’t be such a recluse Stevie! I’ve been growing spores sitting down with you guys all the time. It’s time to get our feet moving and our blood pumping!” She smiled up at him while giving him the best puppy dog eyes she could muster.  
He ducked under her arm and walked over to his couch, plopping his bottom down onto the cushion. “I think you should get that checked out.”  
Her eyes narrowed. “Smartass,” She mumbled. “But seriously- Bucky must be getting cabin fever in here! He was on the move for a while and I know I’m not the only one getting antsy in here.” They all knew it. Every day Bucky would look out the window and down to the streets, half because he was keeping watch (paranoid as always) and half because he wanted to be down there with them. He wanted to submerge himself into the crowd and disappear within the swarm of people. He wanted to move his legs- even work out! He wasn’t getting any of this while being cooped up in Steve’s apartment. The furthest he’d ever travelled was to Ophelia’s room, and she was literally right down the hall.  
Steve knew all of this, of course he did. He was just so afraid of losing his friend again that he was being terribly irrational. He’d rather be irrational than lose his other half- again. However, as Ophelia stared him down and Bucky poked his head out of his bedroom to see their conversation, he knew he couldn’t say no. “Fine!” He threw his hands up in the air. “You wore me down. Happy?”  
A wide grin spread across Ophelia’s lips. “Hell yeah I am!” She looked between Bucky and Steve for a moment before deciding that something needed to be done. “If you two want to keep on the down-low, a change needs to happen. Steve, do you have any hats?”  
“I think I have a few. Do you?”  
“Dude, I completely uprooted my life when I arrived here. I barely have more than two sets of clothes.”  
“I’ll take that as a no.” Steve got up and walked over to the closet next to the front door before moving various items around. After looking for a few minutes, he had thrown a total of three hats behind his head to Ophelia. “You’re lucky Natasha thinks I look nice in hats. She occasionally gets them for me when she’s on missions.”  
“That’s cute! Can I meet her sometime? I’m such a fan of how she can strangle a grown man with her thighs.” Ophelia said, a faraway look in her eyes. She was remembering all of the times that she watched the Marvel movies, recalling every fight scene including Natasha. God, she could be such a beautiful goddess. Especially when she was choking the life out of her opponent. What? Ophelia had always thought that Natasha was hot. She even harbored a small crush on her. Sue her.  
Steve looked out of the closet to note the dreamy look in her eyes before asking, “How do you know Natasha?”  
Ophelia snapped out of her daze, blushing as she realized her thoughts were all about Natasha. She straightened herself up and tapped her head, “I know too much, remember?”  
Steve rolled his eyes, not completely satisfied with her response. “Buck! We’re going out!”  
***  
“This one looks cute!”  
“Too open.”  
“This one looks good!”  
“Too crowded.”  
“This one looks fine!”  
“Too many cameras.”  
“This looks alright.”  
“Ophelia, I’m fifty percent sure that’s a strip club.” Steve and Bucky chuckled as Ophelia blushed with embarrassment. She had been pointing to nearly every dining place since they had finished walking around with the intention of finding a place to eat. (Both Steve and Bucky had stated that they were hungry enough to eat a cow. She didn’t put it behind them not to, especially knowing that their metabolisms were crazy fast.)  
“Okay, well one of you pick a place to eat then!” She huffed, clearly annoyed by their pickiness. “You know, there will never be a perfect restaurant that fits both of your needs. Sometimes you just have to settle.”  
“I already told you- I had a perfect place to eat already!” Steve said.  
“Chuck E Cheese doesn’t count, Steve!” She threw her hands up in the air, causing Bucky to let out a quiet laugh. He quite enjoyed her antics- with her he was actually able to laugh. He decided that it was a good change.  
“Why not?” Steve threw back, “It has pizza, burgers, and cake! Cake I tell you! Cake!”  
“I swear, you are such a kid.”   
“Not to mention that their food is unlimited…” He thought out loud.  
Ophelia face palmed and groaned. Bucky took that as his queue to jump into the conversation. “Can I pick a place to eat?”  
Both Steve and Ophelia’s heads whipped around to look at him, surprise etched on their faces. Since the beginning of their adventure it had been made clear that Bucky wasn’t much of a talker. After multiple attempts of trying to make him talk they had given up, deciding that they would have to fuel the day’s conversation.  
“Of course!”  
“Of course you can, Buck!”  
Steve and Ophelia replied quickly, sounding like eager parents talking to their shy child. They nodded their heads encouragingly for him to continue, curious to hear what he had to say.  
“I think I see a diner up ahead- it doesn’t look too crowded and old diners usually don’t have cameras.” Everyone nodded in agreement before continuing walking in it’s direction. Before long Steve was pulling the door open and holding it for Ophelia (and Bucky) like the gentleman he was raised to be.  
The aroma of the diner hit the trio like a wall of bricks- the nostalgic smell of all types of foods being made simultaneously. A waitress swiftly walked past them, a plate of chicken in one hand and a plate of waffles in the other, sparing a wink at Ophelia as she caught her eye. Ophelia’s face burned bright red as she bit her lip while giving the waitress a once-over. Long brown curls, long legs, bangles encasing her wrists and a blinding smile- she was cute, Ophelia deemed.  
While Steve seemed oblivious, Bucky looked at the blushing girl next to him, a hint of confusion in their eyes before realizing what was going on.  
“What?”  
Bucky let out a hearty laugh. “Oh, nothing.”  
The edges of his lips pulled upwards and Ophelia suddenly felt okay with being ridiculed by the way- anything to make him happy, even if just for a little while. “Don’t listen to that punk.”  
“Jerk.” Steve replied, catching on with a twinkle in his eye.  
After a few moments the waitress came back to lead them to a table towards the back of the diner- a perfect place to have vantage of the whole restaurant. The boys nodded with a silent agreement that the table was good enough for their tastes before taking their seats across from each other.  
Ophelia would have automatically slid in next to Bucky, knowing that he thought she wouldn’t want to sit near someone like him. “Is this seat taken?” He raised his eyebrows at her but said nothing, moving further into the booth. She quickly slid in next to him.  
“Hi! My name is Maya and I’ll be your waitress today. What drinks can I get for you all?”  
“Water please.”  
“May I please have coffee?”  
“Just water, thanks.”  
Maya gave another quick smile- pointedly towards Ophelia- before flipping her notepad shut and walking away. As soon as Maya’s back was turned Steve started to wiggle his eyes at Ophelia, resulting in her promptly grabbing sugar packets from their holder and throwing them at his face. Bucky disguised his laugh as a cough, though he wasn’t fooling anyone.  
She came back a minute later, taking their orders after giving them their drinks. Ophelia began taking a sip of her water as she walked away before turning to the two men sitting with her. “So, Bucky,” She said, playing with her straw, “do you have any embarrassing stories of Steve to share with the class?”  
When a grin widened on Bucky’s face, Steve’s eyes went wide- he knew he was doomed. “Yeah,” Bucky replied, his voice playful. “I don’t think there ever was a moment that wasn’t embarrassing for Steve. Like that time you had to tell poor Mrs. McCollins that he had accidentally stolen her cat- that was good.”  
Ophelia snorted. “How do you accidentally steal a cat?”  
“I refuse to admit it was my fault!” Steve crossed his arms, a stern look on his face.  
“It was most certainly your fault!” Bucky exclaimed, “You were the one that said the cat looked too skinny to be someone’s pet!”  
“Well you were the one that stole the cans of tuna from your ma’s kitchen!”  
“For sandwiches, not a damn cat!”  
“Well it didn’t want to leave our apartment! What was I supposed to do? Eat right in front of him?”  
“You’re supposed to return someone’s lost pet!”  
“He had no collar!”  
“Okay, okay,” Ophelia waved her hand between an annoyed Steve and an amused Bucky. “Break it up.”  
Steve grumbled something along the lines of, “Not my fault.” before quieting himself.  
Bucky’s eyes narrowed. “I heard that.”  
“We all did Bucky.” Ophelia bumped her shoulder with his. “We all did.”  
***  
“God, I love pancakes.” Ophelia shoved another forkful into her mouth, savoring the sweet syrupy goodness. “Pancakes are a gift from god!” She nearly moaned as she shoveled another bite into her mouth. Both Steve and Bucky looked up from their own meals to take in her goofiness before turning to smile at each other. She sure was something else- and the more that the duo thought about it, the more it seemed as though they needed that ‘something else’.  
“You having fun there, Ophelia?” Steve chuckled before lifting his drink to his lips watching a frown cross her features.  
“So I like breakfast foods. Sue me!” She rolled her eyes before eagerly taking another bite. Bucky was thoughtfully looking down at his tall stack of pancakes a faraway look in his eyes. Ophelia took that as he queue to jump in. “You know, my mom always used to make the best pancakes.”  
Both Steve and Bucky’s eyes turned towards her as she started to speak, silently urging her on to continue her thoughts. “Every sunday morning when I was little we would make them together. I’d always end up making quite a mess but she didn’t really mind. All she cared about was the two of us having fun.” She took another mouthful of pancake to chew. “It was always lots of fun to cook with her, but the pancakes were always the best. Sometimes we would make so much that we couldn’t finish them all- it was just me and her so we didn’t eat a lot- so we would invite the neighbors over to have breakfast with us. Sometimes it would be the old lady across the street- she was so sweet- or the family next door to us. They had this one kid that used to be awful, but the more I think about it the more I’m starting to think that it was all an act.” She looked at her plate thoughtfully, completely immersed in her memories.  
“That seemed like fun.” Her eyes widened in surprise as the words left Bucky’s mouth. This was progress.  
“Yeah, it really was. I remember this one time when I was seven- I think I was seven- when the Larsons came over and their son Riley decided it would be fun to start a batter war. He said that girls were too dainty and girly to play like boys could. I, being the take-no-shit child that I was, started fighting back after the first splash of batter got on my clothes. We completely wrecked the kitchen. Even a month after we were still scratching crusted batter off of the cabinets. My only regret was that I never got back at him for getting batter all over my favorite teddy bear.” She scoffed, “Totally uncalled for.”  
By this point the men across from her were laughing right along with her. “That’s very unsportsmanlike, what he did. Getting batter all over your stuffed animal!” Steve said in between chuckles.   
Ophelia snorted. “It wasn’t just any stuffed animal, Steve! It was my favorite!”  
“Please, do enlighten. What was it then?”  
Suddenly Ophelia was not very keen on talking. Her face turned a bright shade of pink that was not to be ignored by the two super-soldiers sitting across the table from her. She mumbled something under her breath, obviously not wanting them to hear.  
“What was that?” Steve egged on.  
“I said,” She continued to mumble after saying this. Steve only cocked his head. “Fine! It was a Bucky Bear alright!” Her eyes avoided the pair across from her, looking at everything but them.  
Bucky nearly spit out his drink upon hearing her words. “A what?”  
She only wrinkled her nose and shook her head, face still reddening.   
Steve couldn’t hold in his laughs as he watched the scene unfold. “A Bucky Bear? I didn’t even know those were a thing!”  
“Hey, Build-A-Bear was having a Captain America week and how could I not!” She protested, desperately trying to hold herself together. “I mean, come on! Every kid loved Build-A-Bear!”  
Bucky’s eyes were still wide as he looked across the table at Ophelia. “A-a… Bucky Bear?”  
Ophelia facepalmed before hiding her face in her hands, too embarrassed to face the world. “Oh my god!” She groaned into her hands, wishing the universe would just kill her already. Steve, however, was a different story.   
“I can’t believe those were a thing! Are you serious?” His laughs were booming and people were starting to look over at the trio. Ophelia shushed him and told him to be quiet, which only resulted in him lowering his voice a tad. “I can’t believe you had a Bucky Bear! This is golden!”  
Now Ophelia was contemplating if slamming her head on the table was a good idea. She went to hit her head on the table for the first time and was surprised when it hit a hand instead of the table’s wooden top. She looked up to see Bucky reaching from his side of the table, laying his hand where her head was going to make contact.   
“I’m not mad or anything,” He said, his voice calm and even. “Just, why… why a Bucky Bear?”  
She looked down at her lap, refusing to meet his eyes for a second longer. “Reading about him in the history books made him seem like a good friend. He would never leave his friend’s side, and as a girl growing up with few friends it seemed appealing. I dunno.” She kicked her feet back and forth under the table trying to distract herself from the conversation. Though she didn’t see it, both Bucky and Steve’s faces fell as they realized what she was saying. They couldn’t help but wonder as to how this kind, caring person grew up with such little friends. While Steve noted to appreciate her presence more, Bucky decided that his first mission as a free man would be to make Ophelia happy.  
She heard it before she saw it. While they weren’t necessarily loud, the grinding noises coming from a certain someone’s metal arm caught Ophelia’s attention. She looked up from her feet to see that his arm- metal arm, might I add- was outstretched towards her.  
“James Buchanan Barnes, at your service.” Bucky nodded his head, signalling for her to shake his hand. She placed her warm hand in his cool one, shaking it firmly. “If it means anything to you, I would like to be your friend.”  
A grin broke out of both Steve and Ophelia’s faces. While Steve was smiling because he was glad that his friend was putting himself out there, Ophelia was just glad to have found another friend in this universe. That’s setting aside the fact that her newfound friend was Bucky Barnes, the man her childhood teddy bear was based off of, the man that she harbored a crush on for years, the man that would one day ultimately steal her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	9. Not Killing Others

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter we address that Bucky is indeed depressed, and in the need of some loving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a bit emotional for me to write, since I have suffered from depression for a number of years.   
> I have interpreted that after all that has happened to Bucky, he is most definitely depressed. I would be surprised if he wasn't at least a little depressed. But that's just me.

Ophelia woke to the sounds of the soft pitter-patters on the roof. She opened her eyes slowly to take in her dimly lit room before looking to the window, observing the raindrops slide down the windowpane. She smiled at the thought of staying indoors and getting cozy, but before she could begin to fulfill those plans, her phone rang.  
Scrambling out of bed, she got caught in the sheets of the bed and fell to the floor. She huffed in frustration as she untangled herself and made her way to her phone’s charging station. She didn’t even bother looking at the caller ID, there were only about five people that knew of her existence and she was down to talk to any one of them. “Hello?”  
“Uh, hi, Ophelia. I don’t mean to interrupt your plans for today or anything,” Bucky’s voice was gruff, like he had just woken up. Maybe he had a nightmare that spooked him and he wanted to talk to someone?  
Ophelia was quick to interrupt him and correct his thoughts. “Trust me Buck, I’ve never minded talking with you.”  
“Thanks. I was wondering if you possibly wanted to hang out today?” She could hear the uncertainty in his voice along with the faint sounds of his metal arm tightening into an anxious ball. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, it’s just, I don’t really want to be alone right now and Steve is on a mission.”  
She didn’t even have to look at her calender to see if she was free- she would always have time for her friend. “Of course! Do you want me to come over there? Or you could come over here if you want- you’re always welcome here!” Ophelia’s eyes scanned her mess of a bedroom, secretly hoping that he’d opt to invite her over.  
“You can come over here if you’d like.” He paused for a moment, taking in the fact that he wouldn’t have to be alone. “Thank’s again Ophelia, you don’t know how much this means to me.”  
“Anytime Buck. Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be outside your door.”  
Ophelia didn’t waste any time after she hung up her phone, quickly rushing to the bathroom and turning on the shower. Waiting for it to heat up she took the time to do her business and speedily brush her teeth. She spit out the remains of her toothpaste into the ceramic sink and shed her clothes as fast as she could. Lifting one of her arms, she dared to take a sniff of the aroma of her armpits (and nearly gagged as a reaction). Yes. She needed a shower. She finally jumped into the shower, silently thanking the universe that the water was warm.  
In less than ten minutes Ophelia was out of the shower, blotting her hair while running over to her closet. Her eyes fell on a soft navy sweater and she ungracefully tugged it on, her battered jeans soon following.   
Ophelia made a quick decision to grab her handbag from its hook next to the door and ran back into her room, searching for things to cheer Bucky up. She was going to make sure that he would feel better, no matter what it took. After another minute she deemed the contents of her bag were enough to entertain them, smiling proudly at her findings.  
She discarded the towel after deciding that she’d just let her hair dry naturally, throwing it over the shower door. She then ran over to her closet once again, tugging on a pair of sandals before running into the kitchenette to grab her keys. She was out in the hallway in less than a minute, jogging past her neighbor’s doors quickly. By the time she was knocking on Bucky’s door, Ophelia was out of breath. Her fist banged against the white wooden door a total of two times before an anxious looking Bucky opened it for her.  
She gave him a soft smile as she passed through the threshold of his apartment, stopping to give him a gently side hug. He visibly tensed for a moment as her arm squeezed his side, obviously not used to the contact, but his stature relaxed as she whispered, “I’m sorry you have nightmares, Buck.”  
“’s okay. I’ve been dealing with them for a while.”  
She released her hold on the man, lifting her gaze from his broad chest to his face. “That doesn’t mean that you have to suffer in silence.” Ophelia then walked past him, venturing further into his humble abode. She plopped her butt onto his couch eagerly, opening the bad previously slung around her shoulder. “I wish I was able to grab more than this, but they will have to do.”  
Ophelia then proceeded to dump the contents of her bag onto the cushion next to her, various games and snacks tumbling out. She picked out a deck of cards from the pile, along with an item that she kept in her secret stash of candy- a bag of gummy bears. She turned to grin at Bucky, who only gave her a look of confusion.  
“How can you be this energetic in the morning? It’s, like, nine o’clock.”  
Truthfully, she would be as energetic as he needed her to be, but she would never admit that. “Someone’s just a late riser!” She teased back, setting the two items down on the coffee table. “Do you know how to play Go Fish?”  
A small smile grew on his face as he realized where they were going with this. “Of course I do.”  
“Game on?”  
“Game on.”  
***  
Bucky ended up winning two rounds of Go Fish, tieing with Ophelia. They moved on to the next game- Ophelia’s brand new copy of Sorry! that she bought with the hopes of playing it with the team- in which she beat Bucky 3-2. They then took a break to eat some real food for lunch- apparently gummy bears were not enough to satisfy Bucky’s super-soldier stomach- and ordered some chinese take-out. It arrived at his apartment in record time, and they practically inhaled the food. Well, Bucky did at least. After that were two more rounds of Go Fish- complete with a fair amount of cheating accusations- and a quick game of checkers that had been left in Bucky’s apartment by its previous owner.  
“Well, Bucky, I’m sorry to say this but we have officially run out of activities to do.” Ophelia exclaimed, the euphoria from her winning their game of checkers still wearing off.   
“Thanks for this. I’ve been having a good time.” Bucky looked down, his cheeks a faint shade of pink after admitting that she helped him.  
“Of course Buck. But the fun doesn’t have to stop here, you know. We can watch some tv or something, if you’d like?” She brushed off his comment, not believing that she actually helped him in any way.  
“No, I’m serious Ophelia. Thank you.” Ophelia’s gaze softened as her eyes laid on Bucky’s sullen expression; his mind was obviously giving him a hard time with nothing to do. “It means a lot that you’re doing this. Being my friend and all. For once in a very long time I have someone other than Steve.”  
“Thank you for saying that. And I want you to know that you can always talk to me. Because you don’t need to lie and say that you’re okay when you’re not. You’re allowed to hurt.”  
“But what happens to me is so much worse than hurting. There’s just,” He paused to take a long, calming breath, “there’s just a never ending pain in my body that is eating me from the inside out. I don’t know how to live with this guilt. I don’t know how to live with this.”  
“That’s okay too. You don’t need to have all the answers- you just have to keep hanging on. Eventually the answers will find you.”  
“I’m not sure how much longer I can wait like this, Ophelia. I feel like I’m dying each day, and by nightfall it feels like I’m in hell. I see them every time I close my eyes.” She knew he was talking about his nightmares that haunted him and terrified him to the core. “Part of me just wants to let go and be done with it.”  
Ophelia’s eyes softened with understanding, and she reached out to touch him. She ended up wrapping her fingers around his human hand, warm and calloused. “I know it’s hard, I know you’re suffering.” She sniffed, using her other hand to wipe stray tears out of her watering eyes. “And I really wish that I could fix it because you don’t deserve any of this.”  
“Only, I do though. I’ve done so many terrible things to so many people- it’s only logical that I’ll be damned for the rest of my days because of my actions.”  
“Bucky,” She squeezed his hand tighter, pulling slightly on his arm. “I need you to pay very close attention to what I am about to say. Can you do this for me?”  
With a moment of hesitation, he replied. “Yes, I will.”  
“You and the Winter Soldier are not the same person- you never were and you never will be. You need to understand that what He did was not your fault; you weren’t in control. The Bucky Barnes that I know would never do those things the Winter Soldier did. Bucky Barnes has been, and always will be, a good man.”  
“How can you be so sure? You never knew me before all of this.”  
Ophelia shifted uncomfortably, not liking where the situation was going. She had barely hit the tip of the iceberg with Steve, and that within itself was a huge risk. “That doesn’t matter- what matters is that Steve and Sam and I all believe that you can do this. We will be right there beside you, facing every hurdle with you.”  
“Thank you for that, really, but in all honesty I don’t think I can face another day. The only reason I’ve held on this long was because of Steve, but he has you and Sam now. He doesn’t need me anymore.”  
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”  
“I don’t know yet.”  
Ophelia dropped his hand, her voice lowering a considerable amount. “And you’re sure that you’d be willing to do it?”  
Bucky hesitated, unable to look her in the eyes. Slowly, he gave her a small nod. “I think so.”  
Then, the oddest thing happened. Ophelia started laughing- not a humorous laugh, rather one of bitterness and loneliness. She shoved up the sleeve of her navy top, and for the first time Bucky saw the skin of her arm. “I was like you once- utterly, hopelessly depressed. I used to fail at everything- everything. I gave up hope and tried another way out, and I ironically failed at that too. I couldn’t even successfully kill myself.”  
His eyes widened wide as saucers, not believing that this person of light was once filled with so much darkness. His eyes wandered down to her wrists, and he gently took hold of one and turned it over. There, in that moment at three PM on that misty monday afternoon, Bucky broke. “Why would you ever do this to yourself? You’re always so happy!”  
“Buck, no one is ever happy one hundred percent of the time. I was a chronically depressed girl that had no reason to be sad- and that only worsened my case.” She paused, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “But right now isn’t about me- it’s about you. You need to know that you will survive this. You will get better- if I could, you can too. You will get better and kick life’s ass!”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about- I’m not depressed.”  
“Bucky, you’re not fooling anyone here. We all know that you are depressed, and we want to help you. But you at least need to try to believe in yourself. If the universe wants you to live, then you live- it’s as simple as that.” If only he had a clue how much this statement related to her. She’d defied death a handful of times recently, so of course some part of her believed that her survival was for a purpose.   
“But maybe I could be wrong. Maybe it would be best if you just died.” Ophelia paused for dramatic effect. “Do you hear how wrong that sounds Buck? A world without you is one so bleak that wouldn’t be worth living in. Not for Steve. Not for me. You mean more to us than you’ll ever know.”  
“Do you really mean that?”  
“Every word.” She gave him a reassuring smile with her previously saddened face. “And you know what Bucky?”  
“What?”  
“It doesn’t take much to die. But it takes real effort to keep on living- you have to be strong to keep on living.” She looked into his steel blue eyes, trying her best to get the point across. “If not for yourself, then for your friends. For Steve.”  
“Steve has other friends now; he doesn’t need me anymore.”  
“So that automatically means that you’re not worth it?” Ophelia was stricken with his beliefs, but she pushed forward. “Your worth is not defined by who loves you. Only you define your worth.”  
“And if I don’t think that I’m worthy?”  
“Then I’ll try my damnedest to prove you otherwise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	10. Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The much anticipated confrontation happens. Also, Ophelia tells Tony Stark that he is a good man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if Tony or anyone else is ooc in this chapter. I tried, I really did.

“Are you sure that you can handle being alone for a few days?” Steve looked down at Ophelia's form standing in front of him, waiting for an answer.  
“Of course. No one knows that we’re here except for the higher ups in SHIELD, right?”  
He furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. “I think so. I don’t recall telling anyone else from the team where I was staying, which is good. So yeah, I guess we’re good.”  
She winked at him, “I guess that’s… good.”  
He ruffled her hair gently, making sure that his strength wouldn’t hurt her. “It is good you raskal.”  
“No one calls people raskals anymore, Steve.” She chuckled, dodging her head out of his reach. “Plus, you know you love me.”  
“Sure do.” He said, smiling down at her. She returned a bright smile back before leaning into him, hugging him tightly.  
“You come back all in one piece, allright?”  
“Always.”  
“And you’re gonna be safe? No funny buisness?”  
“Don’t worry, I’m only funny for you guys.”  
“Of course you are.” She replied, squeezing her brotherly figure a bit tighter before releasing him altogether.  
He turned and wrapped his hand around the doorknob, ready to go as he had already said his goodbyes to Bucky. “I’ll be back soon.” And with that, he was gone.  
***  
The first few days were a breeze, Bucky and Ophelia making easy talk about history and modern day culture. 

“So people post their entire lives online?”  
“Well, I guess if you look at it that way, yes. But the internet is a lot less scary than how it’s advertized.”  
“I don’t trust it.”  
“That’s okay, you don’t have to.”

“I like this Michael guy. He’s a bit flashy though. I mean who only wears a single glove?”  
“Wore, Buck. The guy died more than five years ago.”  
“Aw, really?”  
“Yeah, it was sad. They made a movie and everything about his life though. It’s really interesting to see how he was raised- his father was horrible.”  
“That’s too bad, his music was really good.”  
“Wait!” Ophelia exclaimed, jumping up from her seat on the couch, “have I shown you the Thriller music video yet?”

“This guy seems like a total asshole.”  
“Yeah, I know right?”  
“And you said he’s running for president?”  
“Yeah, it’s really scary because he’s winning.”  
“I don’t believe that.”  
“Trust me, it’s real. Sadly.”  
“That’s scary- and I know scary.”

“Are you saying that Steve willingly went into that?” Bucky said, looking closer at the footage of the Battle of New York.  
“Well, he had to take a bit of a push, but yeah, he did.”  
“What the fuck is wrong with that punk?!”  
“Well, I mean, come on. When would he ever run away from a fight?”  
Bucky stayed silent for a moment. “But still, did you see how many times he got hit?”  
Ophelia sighed. “Look, Steve is sort of very self-sacrificial, but the thing is- he has people around him that care about him. His team is always looking out for him because of this. Plus, Steve would never go out of his way to get himself killed if it meant that people were going to die.”  
“I don’t know- this still doesn’t sit right with me.” She restrained herself from telling Bucky about the time that Steve wore a plastic helmet when rescuing the 107th.   
“I’ve gotten to know Steve pretty well over these last couple of months especially,” She said, tentatively patting Bucky’s shoulder, “and he’s been getting better at taking care of himself. At first- after the ice? Probably not, to be quite honest. But that part of his life is over now. He has people like you and me that care for him, that will always be looking out for him. He knows the least he can do for us is to stay alive.”  
Bucky was silent for a minute. “Thanks,” He said, giving her a soft smile, “I needed that. The punk worries me.”  
“He worries me too.”  
***  
Ophelia and Bucky were in the middle of watching The Princess Bride (her new standard movie for reintroducing time-traveling super soldiers back into modern day culture) when the doorbell rang.  
“Huh, that’s odd. Steve never told anyone about this address.” Bucky tensed, but stayed silent. She was sure that this was because he was paranoid that the person (people?) at the door was Hydra, but he didn’t want to scare her.  
“Steve, are you in there?” A familiar voice called from outside the door. Ophelia definitely knew the voice, but it was a bit hard to place when the adrenaline started to run through her veins. Who would be looking for Steve?  
She carefully crept towards the front door, tiptoeing until she was close enough to look through the peephole. What she saw astounded her. Tony fucking Stark stood not three feet away from the door. What was her life coming to?  
“I can hear you breathing in there, you know.” Ophelia banged her head on the front door angrily, knowing fully well that there was going to be no way around this confrontation.  
“One minute!” She shouted through the wooden barrier before skidding over to Bucky’s still form on the couch. “Bucky, it’s Tony. He’s a Stark, if you know what I mean. You don’t have be here for this- you could just hide in the bedroom.”  
He looked up sullenly at her, effectively breaking her heart into a million pieces. “I’ve been running long enough. I think it’s time that I pay for my mistakes.”  
Ophelia scrunched up her nose, “Buck, you know that-” She was cut short as loud knocking erupted from the door. “Coming!” She shouted and walked over to the door, but not before throwing Bucky a look that said that this was not the end of their conversation.  
She opened the door ever so slowly, trying to prolong the inevitable. “Uh, hello?”  
“You’re not Steve.”  
“No, I’m not.”  
“Who are you and what are you doing in his apartment?”  
“I’m his friend, Ophelia.” She said, looking him over. When she didn’t see any weapons on his person, she continued, “And you are?”  
“Genius, playboy, billionaire philanthropist. Otherwise known as Tony Stark.”  
Wow, he actually said it. “Uh, that’s nice. Are you here to see Steve? Because he’s out right now.”  
Tony pushed past her and into the apartment, not caring when she protested. “Then I’ll just wait here until he gets back. Say, do you know if he has any-” He cut himself short as he saw Bucky standing in front of the couch, his arms crossed across his chest with a stoic expression on his face.   
Tony moved himself right in front of Ophelia, pushing her further away from where Bucky stood. “Get back Hamlet!”  
Ignoring the nickname, she grabbed his shoulder and pulled Tony back before he could pull out one of his dangerous gadgets. “Stop, it’s okay. Don’t hurt him.”  
Tony angled himself towards her, careful not to let Bucky- who still had not moved- out of his line of sight. “Do you have any idea who this guy is?”  
“Yeah, his name is Bucky and he’s Steve’s friend.” Ophelia cringed at her choice of words, something, she noticed, that she had been doing a lot as of late.  
“Yeah, he was, seventy years ago!”  
“And now too.” She sighed, looking up at the older man. “Look, I am well aware of what he has done. We all are, but we also know that that wasn’t him. He’s not like that anymore.”  
Tony looked her in the eyes, a severe look of seriousness and criticality staring into her as he said, “You’re sure about that?”  
“One hundred percent. I’ve spent the past couple of days alone with him and nothing has suggested that he is anything except a traumatized prisoner of war.” She thought for a minute before adding, “One who probably is not liking the fact that we’re treating him like he’s not even in the room. Sorry, Bucky.”  
“It’s alright Ophelia, he has more than enough reason to be mad at me.” Bucky nodded towards Tony though his eyes lingered on her. He shifted a bit where he stood, angling himself respectfully towards Tony. “Hello Mr. Stark.”  
“Uh, hi.” Tony, in all honesty, seemed a bit dazed by the fact that Bucky did not pose as an immediate threat. “So Steve found you, huh?”  
“Well, I decided that it was time for me to stop running.”  
“Good choice,” Tony said, “He was going crazy looking for you. He was so bad that I offered to help with some of my resources.”  
Bucky looked surprised by this, “You did?”  
“Yeah. As much as I’d hate to admit it, I care about the old popsicle.” He gave both Ophelia and Bucky a stern look after the words escaped his lips, “Never tell him that though.”  
“Of course.” Ophelia quickly responded.  
“Alright.” Bucky replied.  
“Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, can I look at your arm?”  
“Tony!” Ophelia knew both from fanfictions and from experience that Bucky didn’t like his arm, much less letting people around it. “He doesn’t like that!”  
“What?” Tony turned around and gave her another quick once-over. “Who are you anyways?”  
“Steve’s friend.”  
“He wouldn’t let just anyone look over his old pal Bucky. You must be someone special.”  
“I’m not SHIELD if you know what I mean.”  
“So you know about SHIELD then,” He said, and Ophelia mentally facepalmed. Why was she so bad with confrontations and talking to people? What was wrong with her?  
“Uh, yeah. Duh. Like, all their information was dumped on the internet a couple of months ago.” Nice save Ophelia, she told herself.  
He gave her another critical look, analysing her appearance. “Well you don’t seem like an agent- not with that build and attitude. I don’t care who you are as long as you aren’t SHIELD, so it’s nice to meet you.”  
Ophelia shook his outstretched hand. “Uh, thanks?” She quickly took her hand back and put it on her side. “It’s nice to meet you, by the way. I’m a fan of-”  
“Oh, I’m sorry but I don’t do fans.”  
“Your technological skills.” She rolled her eyes at Tony’s attitude towards his fans. “Dude, chill- it’s not like I’m going to jump you and make you father my children.”  
His eyes bulged. “You have children?”  
“No, oh my-” She sighed into her hands. “It’s a figure of speech. No, I do not have children.”  
The universe, of course, thought this would be a prime opportunity for Steve to barge in, shield barred, looking about ready to kill. While Tony was being covered by one of the walls, Ophelia and Bucky were in his line of sight.  
“What happened? I heard yelling!”  
Tony walked into his line of sight, making him ease up a bit. “Damn it Tony, what did I say about tracing my calls?” Steve closed the front door and hung up his coat on it’s hook before placing his shield down, leaning it on the wall.  
“I believe you said that it was an, and I quote, ‘invasion of privacy’ on your behalf and that I shouldn’t do it,” Tony said before a smirk eased onto his face, “but all I heard was the sound that Charlie Brown’s parents made when they talked.”  
“I don’t get it.”  
“I do!” Ophelia said excitedly, “I understood that reference!”   
Both Tony and Steve gave Ophelia an odd sideways look as if she had done something wrong. She supposed that she did. After so many times making that joke with her friends, the expression sort of slipped from her mouth without her permission.  
“Anyways,” Tony continued, now placing his full attention on Steve, “why didn’t you tell me that you found your grungy ex-boyfriend?” Ophelia snorted at the nickname, quick to cover it up with a cough when both Steve and Bucky seemed displeased with the name.   
“Tony, for the last time, I’m not gay.”  
“Steve, for the last time, it’s okay if you’re not ready to come out of the closet yet.” She couldn’t help it. She laughed. Hundreds of memories of Stony and Stucky (Not to mention Steve and Sam) fics came to mind and she couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that these could quite literally be cannon in this world. Oh god, she thought, what if Tony really will leave Pepper for Steve?  
The thought made her go red in the face, and Steve gave her a distressed look. “I’m not gay!” Now Ophelia and Tony were both laughing until tears came out of their eyes; even Bucky let out a chuckle.  
“We are totally not talking about my love life right now!” This only made them laugh harder. “You all are just as bad as Natasha, you know that? Just as bad!”   
“She could choke me with those thighs any day,” Ophelia sighed without thinking, her mind filled with images of Natasha choking men to their deaths. She had only two words to say to that: hot damn.   
Apparently, the trio of men in the room had no words to say to that. “Oh come on,” She said, looking at all the now sobered men around her, “it’s not like I’m not gay! Steve, you literally saw me flirting with a hot waiter!”  
Steve blushed, making it very obvious that he hadn’t picked up on this until she brought it up. “Really Steve? Even Bucky put two and two together!”  
“Or should you say… girl and girl together?”  
“Shut up Tony.” Steve and Ophelia both shouted.   
“What? I’m just saying-” Ophelia put her hand up, not wanting to hear any more. Yes, she knew very well about Tony and all of his many problems -including, but not limited to PTSD, anxiety, depression, etc- and she knew that he was actually a kind and caring person, but that wouldn’t stop her from cutting this off. She did not want to discuss her love life with these men. She’d rather jump out of a plane. Without a parachute. Into enemy territory. Like someone she knew.  
“Not another word.” She said, exhausted, “What I want to know is how the hell is my love life more interesting than the situation at hand?”  
“Oh,” Steve said, turning back to Tony, a bit red in the face. “So, Tony, this was not how I wanted you to find out about this situation.”  
“I read the files Natasha released, you know,” Tony replied, his face sobering up. “Well, Jarvis did, and relayed the important information to me- same thing. The point is, I know what he did.” He jabbed his thumb back towards Bucky pointedly. “And as much as I want to hate him for what happened, I know that it wasn’t him that did it. Which is why I am offering my services to try to help him- all of you, in fact. I have more than enough room in the tower for you to call home, if you’ll have it.”  
“Tony, I don’t know what to say.”  
“Say yes,” Ophelia coughed into her elbow, grinning when she saw Steve’s face register what her cough meant. If she was okay with moving, then technically, as her protector- and friend- he was too.  
“Well, I think we might take you up on that offer,” He said, beaming.  
“Oh, and the offer also extends towards birdman as well.” Tony smirked at the nickname.  
“I’ll be sure to tell him.” Steve replied, “Thank you Tony, really.”  
“Oh, you’re too cute when you’re thankful Cap.” Tony reached out to pinch Steve’s cheek, disappointed when Steve swatted his hand away.  
While Steve and Tony started to bicker, Bucky moved from his place in front of the couch, making his way over to Tony. He extended his human hand carefully at the older man. “Thank you for your, so much.” He said, his voice tremoring ever so slightly, “I have done nothing to earn your forgiveness, but you offer it anyway. I could never be more grateful.”  
“What is it with you oldies and being so sentimental?” Tony queried. “It’s just a floor or so to yourselves, nothing big!” He threw his hands up in the air exasperatedly.  
It was around that time when Tony decided that he would leave. Deciding that proper goodbyes were for normal people, he walked out of the room and left the apartment without as much as a single goodbye. Ophelia chased after him without thinking, catching up with him as he waited for the elevator to come.  
“Thank you, really, thank you. You didn’t have to accept us, but you did anyway.” She said, hugging him without a second thought. Tony’s first rigid form relaxed into her touch.  
“No problem kid.” He awkwardly patted her head, not knowing what to do with himself.  
“You’re a good person, Tony Stark.” She said, lifting her head to look up at him. “Please don’t forget that.”  
He was honestly at a loss for words. Never had anyone- sparing Pepper and Jarvis- gone out of their way to assure Tony, and even then it was a stretch. It was then that he decided that though he didn’t know much about the girl in front of him, he liked her. “I won’t forget.”  
She released him, stepping back smiling. “Good,” She said at the same time as the elevator arrived. As Tony entered the carriage she added, “and if you do forget, I will make it my job to remind you.” With that, the doors closed.  
Since Ophelia had come to this world, her nights had been plagued with nightmares of her family searching for her, the plane crashing, and her drowning in the waters she had once surfaced. As of late, she had been having nightmares of the Hydra agent that had nearly killed her, the fact that he had gotten away only fueling her night terrors. This night, however, she fell asleep with a smile on her face into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	11. Interlude: Fate Is A Cruel Mistress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is more than what meets the eye in this story. Let us take a look at one of the most important forces in the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been toying with this idea since the very beginning, and I want to see how you guys like this idea. I'm going to keep it, but please tell me if you're confused so I can fix it. Enjoy!

The woman sat in her cushioned chair, stirring the cherry in her drink as she watched the lit fireplace in front of her. Her tv was on, illuminating the room, a thousand channels on all at once. If she really wanted to, she could zone into one specific channel and listen to what was going on, but most days she found peace amongst the chaotic cacophony of the multitude of channels running.  
This way of life satisfied her for decade after decade, century after century, but every once in a long while she grew bored of staying out of trouble. Wars, death and destruction were often the result of her boredom running rampant. This time, however, she was more interested in internal wars and destruction. She had always kept to wrecking things on a large scale, unaware of how fun it was to completely destroy people one at a time.  
The first time she ever experimented with singular lives was shortly after war broke out in one of the many universes she watched over. By this time she had been aching for action for well over five centuries, her eagerness taking over her mind. Her eyes scanned the earth for a perfect subject and found one in a small boy, no older than five. His soul shined bright, light leaking through each and every one of his pores. Good, this was good. She was going to smother this light and have fun doing it.  
She started to push this one soul around, testing his limits. She made her first move by pushing him in the direction of a significantly smaller and weaker boy with the hopes of the two becoming friends. They got along magnificently, to say the least.  
As the years went by she watched the duo grow up, an impossibly large smile crossing her face when the second world war broke out. She knew her boys would join, and oh how entertaining would it be to watch them reach their limits? Sure enough her boy, now a man, was drafted for the war. He was sent off not too long afterwards.  
The first thing she had to do was make the small one big. That she was sure of. Otherwise he would get killed within his first five minutes in the field. She scoured the earth for a solution and found one in Abraham Erskine’s serum. She made sure that the doctor would meet Steve, knowing fully well that the doctor would pick Steve to be the subject. She spent so much time plotting for her little Steve that she didn’t even notice when Bucky was captured. And then everything went to shit from there.  
Yes, she was all and powerful, but there were certain things that even she couldn’t control. For example, she herself couldn’t turn back time and she couldn’t break certain all-powerful relationships like the one between Steve and Bucky. It was just a fact. Not that she didn’t want to, because oh, how she wanted to see how Bucky would react without his precious Steve.  
It was later, during one of these musings, when everything got fucked. She knew the Howling Commandos were on a mission to capture Zola, but she figured it would be smooth sailing. She didn’t expect Bucky to pick up the shield when she wasn’t looking. She didn’t expect that he would stupidly throw himself in front of Steve to save his friend. She would never have guessed that Bucky would be hanging off of the train, waiting for death to come for him. By the time she realized what was happening Bucky was already falling, falling, falling.  
Sure, she was a sadistic person at times, but she didn’t want her favorite boy to die. Not before he had truly lived. So she guided the german soldiers to find Bucky’s limp form lying in that godforsaken snowbank, dripping with cold, red blood. The rest was history. While she didn’t like Hydra, she dealt with them, knowing it would be the only way Bucky would survive. She had faith that he would be saved in the future, whether it be by her hand or not. She was Fate, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! Fate is an actual character in this story! There has been much more that meets the eye since the very first chapter of this story, and I have been dropping tiny little hints for this.   
> Yes, there is going to be one hella cool showdown between Fate and Ophelia at the end of the story. But that's just part of what is to come.  
> Stay tuned!  
> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	12. Uprooting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia, Steve, and Bucky pack for the impending move to Stark Tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short. This is just a filler chapter.

“I know I’ve been in here before, but you really don’t have more?” Steve rotated on his heel, taking in her scarcely decorated apartment. She just shrugged.  
“I never really had time to go shopping.”  
“What about pictures, artwork- anything?”  
Ophelia just shifted on her feet, uncomfortable with where this was going. “I didn’t really have much of anything when I came here. Just the clothes that SHIELD gave me. The rest came with the apartment.”  
Both the boys continued to look around her ‘home’ as she ran around the apartment, putting what few belongings she had into one box. She made sure that her sketchbook, ruined Marvel skirt, clothes, and bathroom products were all in the box before taping it shut.  
By the time she was back in the living room, Steve and Bucky were both talking in hushed voices in her living room. “What’s up?” She asked, trying to be as nonchalant as possible while a feeling of unease crept up her spine. She had a bad feeling that they were talking about her.  
Both of the men jumped apart, startled by her appearance in the room. “Nothing much,” Steve said a bit too quickly, “Just telling Buck how we met.”  
“Oh,” She smiled, “You mean how I saved your life?”  
“Yeah, Buck, about that…”  
“Can you believe this punk?” Bucky asked her, knocking his friend upside the head, “He refused to leave me. I swear you have always had a death wish.”  
Ophelia snorted, thinking back to all of the times Steve stormed into Hydra bases with Sam looking for Bucky earlier in the year. He would go in nearly unarmed, with his need for Bucky being the only thing fueling him forward. “Yeah, I think he does.”  
“Hey,” Steve protested, “I’m not that bad!”  
“Oh, yes you most certainly are.” She fought back, “If I told him about some of the things you have been doing lately he would have a heart attack, the old man that he is!”  
“Hey, I’m not old…” He said, trailing off. “I’m just well aged!”  
Ophelia patted his shoulder gently. “Sure you are, Buck, sure you are.”  
***  
Ophelia was folding the sheets from Steve’s bed when it happened. Bucky was sifting through another one of Steve’s boxes of belongings returned to him by SHIELD after he woke up. Steve hadn’t had the courage to go through its contents, even after all this time, nostalgia taking him over each time he tried. Bucky picked up an old, frayed baseball from the box, a look of puzzlement on his face.  
“This was mine?” Bucky asked quietly while looking at the old, weathered baseball.  
Steve, who had been sifting through his closet, looked up with a small, hopeful smile. “Yeah. I nearly threw myself out of the stands trying to catch it. You were so mad that I was hanging off of the edge- you pushed me out of the way before I would get hurt. And the damn ball nearly hit you in the eye.”  
If she didn’t catch herself she would have said something along the lines of ‘oh, the feels’, but thankfully she was in possession of some self-restraint. Instead she settled for a wink in the boys’ direction before returning to her task at hand, continuing to fold up his bed sheets.  
***  
Ophelia woke up earlier than she would have liked on the day that they moved out. She looked around her bare bedroom a couple of times before walking into her kitchen, taking a seat at the counter. She peeked into the box that sat on the kitchen counter, smiling when she saw that the notebook she snagged from one of the SHIELD labs was resting on top. She sifted through the box to find a pen, letting out a sound of victory when her hands closed around one. Opening to the first page she wrote the date down and began to write.  
May 18th  
We are moving out today. While I spent most of my time in the boys’ apartment, I still had a bit of an attachment with my apartment. It’s not anything big, but it still feels a bit like home.  
Speaking of home, I really miss home. Like, I miss it a lot, a whole lot. I miss my mom and how we used to spend every sunday together. I miss when we ate dinner together, though the boys usually fill that role as of late. I miss how mom used to make dinners too big for just the two of us so that we’d have to invite other people over. I miss how big her heart was. I just miss her so damn much.  
I miss a lot of other things, like my friends and my sanity. (Literally- sometimes I feel like I’m going insane!) I miss how Jessica used to braid my hair when I was upset because I liked how it felt, and how Isabelle used to watch good shows with me. She had the best taste in tv, I swear. I mean, who else likes Marvel, Orange Is The New Black, and The Walking Dead? God, I miss those shows too.   
I think I might also miss Riley a bit. Like I miss what could have been- we could have been great friends. We could have bonded over a number of things, but none of that can happen now. None of it. Not a single conversation because he’s dead.  
Ophelia wiped her teary eyes, a few stray teardrops falling onto the page. “Damn it,” She mumbled, “I’m getting the fucking paper wet.”  
She attempted to dry the paper with the sleeve of her pyjamas, frustration bubbling up when it only smeared the ink. She stood up and kicked the chair angrily, trying desperately to ease her anger. She paced around the kitchen a few times to defuse her angry and upset feelings before sitting herself back down.  
It’s not that I’m unhappy, because I’m not- I’m really not. I am having a good time with Steve and Bucky; hell, it’s all I’ve ever dreamed of and more. It’s just… I miss home. I miss my mom, my friends- everything. I miss the house that I grew up in, and the back yard, and the smell of the neighbors cooking on a hot summer evening. (Because DAMN was their cooking good!) I miss my life.  
And the worst part is that not only do I not know how I got here, but I don’t know if I’m ever going to go back. I mean, of course I have some ideas as to how I got here (dying in one universe means you move on to the next?) and maybe why I’m here (to help Steve find Bucky sooner?) but these are only basic ideas. I have no idea what I’m dealing with and it’s really frustrating me. Honestly, could the universe just give me a break?


	13. Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Ophelia gets settled in her new home. Oh, and she meets some more of her favorite characters.

Ophelia looked around her new apartment, a sense of unease settling in her stomach. “What am I missing?” She asked herself. Friends. Family. Familiarity.   
She walked into her bedroom, looking down at the boring grey bedspread. “This needs something more,” She mumbled to herself, “Jarvis?”  
“Yes Miss Martin?”  
“Am I allowed to order things from here?”  
“I believe so miss.”  
“Can you please place an order for a couple of pillows for me? The cheaper the better.” She didn’t want to waste Stark’s money, even if he had more than enough for it.  
“What shall the pillows be?”  
“One Captain America Shield pillow and another of the Iron Man arc reactor,” She said, thinking of hers back home, “One bisexual pride pillow and a unicorn pillow pet.” She smiled as she ordered the rest, knowing that they would make her feel more at home in this foreign place.  
“Is that all Miss Martin?”  
“Yes. Thank you Jarvis.”  
“It was a pleasure, Miss Martin. The orders have been placed.”  
“Please, call me Ophelia.”  
“I believe I can’t, Miss Martin.”  
“Oh, alright.”  
“I hope you will have a nice day miss.” Jarvis said before quieting, leaving her alone in her barren room with nothing but her thoughts.  
***  
“Mister Stark, I believe there is something you would like to see.” Jarvis said to Tony as he sat alone in his study.  
“What is it?”  
“Miss Martin has placed a few orders under your name.”  
While Tony had given Jarvis permission to let his guests to order things with his money, Tony still liked to be notified when purchases- especially from new residents- were placed. “What did she buy?”  
“I believe she bought a variety of pillows, sir.”  
He was not expecting this. Tony leaned back into his cushioned chair, pulling up a screen displaying her purchases. “Did she say why she bought them?”  
“I believe she was mumbling about her home.”  
He stroked his chin for a moment, deep in thought. “What else do we have on Miss Martin?”  
***  
“Hi Mister Stark, thank you so much for letting me be here.” Ophelia said, shaking his outstretched hand in front of her. While Steve and Bucky were still packing their rooms she had finished, since she had only brought one box including all of her things. She had decided to wander around the tower until she found someone, and when she didn’t, she just asked Jarvis to help her find Tony. She found him on one of the R&D floors.  
“Please, call me Tony. Or supreme overlord. Either works. Mister Stark was my father.”  
“Okay then, supreme overlord.” She said, sending him a wink, “How are you today?”  
He seemed surprised that she asked about his wellbeing; his widened eyes and twitching mouth said it all. It was then when she decided that she would make a mission out of helping Tony- he needed it. He needed a friend.   
“I’m fantastic,” He replied before turning on his heel and walking towards the labs. After she just stood there, watching him for a moment he called over his shoulder, “you coming? I’ll show you around.”  
She quickly scurried over to his side, fixing her stride to match his. “So who’s on this floor?” She couldn’t help but hope that she would meet Jane or Darcy; she had fell in love with the duo when she watched the Thor movies. It would be a dream come true to meet and/or befriend them, if she was lucky of course.  
“Doctor Foster and her intern Darcy, along with Banner. You know, the big green guy?” She snorted at his description of Bruce before the shock set in. She was going to meet some of her favorite people in this universe. She had to remind herself to breathe when they reached Doctor Foster’s lab.  
“This is them?”  
“Yep.” Tony responded. “I think you’ll like Darcy- she has a lot of spunk, like you.”  
Ophelia blushed. “Oh, I’d hardly say that-” Before she could finish he was opening the lab doors.  
“Hey Foster and Goon Number One, I have a guest for you to meet!” Tony shouted over the sounds of the loud machinery running in the room. A thin woman with long brown hair- Jane freaking Foster!- looked up from the loudest machine before looking back down to switch it off.   
“Hey Tony, who’s this?” She asked, walking over to her and Tony. She gave Ophelia a once over, assessing her as a non-threatening civilian by her clothing and posture. She relaxed when she realized that Ophelia wasn’t a SHIELD goon.  
“Hi,” Ophelia said, giving Jane a warm smile, “It’s nice to meet you Doctor Foster. I’m Ophelia Martin.”  
“Oh, call me Jane. There’s no need for formalities.” Jane replied with an equally warm smile.  
Goon Number Two- er, Darcy- walked up to Ophelia with an assessing look, her eye narrowed as she looked Ophelia over. “Do you like hats or scarves more?”  
Ophelia furrowed her brows, taken aback by the intern’s question. Sure, she had read her fair amount of fanfictions about Darcy in her time, but it was still a shock to be experiencing the intern’s erratic behavior firsthand. “Excuse me?”  
“I would ask if you’d want a sweater, but I’m not sure if we’re that close yet.”  
Ophelia looked around helplessly, at a loss for what to do. She looked at Tony, who just shrugged, then to Jane who was brushing soot off of her (assumedly) home knit sweater she wore. “Sweaters are nice,” Ophelia said slowly, not sure if it was the right answer.  
Darcy just let out a nice laugh and a bright smile. “I like you.”   
This made Ophelia sigh with relief, glad that her favorite characters accepted her. “Thanks,” She said jovially, “I like you too.” That was when she knew the rest of her day was going to be spent having fun talking and gossiping with the scientist and her intern.  
***  
It had been three days since the move into the tower, and Ophelia had yet to stop thanking Tony for letting her live in the tower. “I can’t thank you enough for letting us move in Tony, really. Thank you.”  
“If you want to thank me you’ll get the booze from the bar over there,” He replied, leaning off the arm of his chair while pointing in the direction of the mini bar.   
She smirked, having (more than) a faint idea of where this was going. Yeah, she could afford to get loose. She walked over to the suave mini bar and grabbed a couple different bottles of alcohol, not knowing which one Tony would like best.  
“Okay, so I have beer, vodka, and scotch. Pick your poison.” She stood in front of Tony, watching him as he reached for the scotch in her arms. “Good choice.” Though she didn’t know much about drinking, her mother had always had a soft spot for a good scotch- she figured that the drink must have been good then.   
Ophelia’s eyes flickered between the two left over bottles before settling on the vodka. While she had never actually drunk alcohol before, her friends most definitely had. They had all collectively agreed that vodka was better than beer. Oh god, she thought, her friends!  
That thought was enough to make her uncap the bottle and take a swig of the drink, shocked by the sudden burn in her mouth. She must have made a face because when she turned at Tony he was already looking at her quizzically. “Your first time trying vodka?”  
“First time drinking, actually.” She replied, now relishing the feeling of warmth in her stomach. Yeah, she could get used to this.  
Tony’s eyebrows shot way up his face, “You’ve never drank before?”  
She just shrugged at him and took another sip. “I’ve never had much of a reason to.” After pausing for a minute to enjoy the warmth spreading throughout her body she added, “I never really had the time and my friends never pressured me into it. They wanted me to be the designated driver anyways.”  
“Well aren’t you a saint.”  
She scoffed. “I’m no saint.”  
Tony looked puzzled for a moment before asking, “So, what’s your deal kid?”  
She sighed into her drink. “I can’t get home.” Then she took another sip.  
“Is there anything I can do to help?” He inquired genuinely. She just looked so sad as she gaxed into her bottle of alcohol- it broke his heart. Someone as good and pure as her shouldn’t be this sad.  
“Thank you for asking Tony,” She replied, frowning, “But I don’t think anyone can help me. I’m too far gone.”  
A half an hour of near silence and many sips later Ophelia was more than just tipsy. “You know, Tony, you’re a good person.” She hung off the side of one of the common room’s black couches, gazing at an upside down looking Tony.  
“Yeah? What makes you say that kid?”  
“You may not want to admit it, but I know you care about your friends. A lot.” She giggled and swung her body back into a sitting position before taking another gulp of her drink. “You just want everyone safe. I respect that.”  
“Sure, kid, but respect isn’t free.” He took another sip from his glass, entertained by the drunk girl in front of him.  
“I don’t get how everyone always thinks you’re so arrogant.” She said, sitting up abruptly.  
“That’s because I am arrogant.” He responded without giving it a thought.  
She scoffed, “Don’t mistake your confidence for arrogance, Tony.”  
Tony’s eyes widened at her reply, as he was expecting her to spout out some half-assed compliment. That was not what he was expecting; he was not used to people giving him positive affirmations.  
Ophelia rolled over to look at him in the eyes. “You know, I always wondered what it was like for everyone to think that you were dead. Everyone looked so sad.” Her face fell into a frown as she sloshed the remnants of her drink in her bottle, looking into the clear liquid. “All of my family must think that I’m dead. I don’t want them to be sad.”  
“Let’s lighten up a little bit kid.”  
“I don’t want them to be sad. And now I’m sad.” She said, tears gathering in her red eyes. “And I have to live a whole new life and lie all the time. Who does that?”  
Tony only raised his eyebrows, slightly curious to see where she was going. “I don’t know. A lot of people?”  
“But I’ve never been good at lying. All my lies are killing me.”  
“Okay, I think you’ve had enough.” Tony set his glass down and stood up from his seat, walking over to Ophelia’s drooping frame. “Let’s get you to bed, shall we?”  
“Thanks Tony-kins. Mister supreme overlord. You’re the best.”  
“Sure, kid.” Tony smiled down at the girl before helping her up. “Jarvis, can you please show Ophelia to her room? I have some work to do.”  
“Sir, it would be a pleasure.” Lights lit up along the floor, lighting up a path towards her room. Ophelia looked up at the ceiling bewildered as she walked along the path.   
“God, is that you?”  
“No, miss, my name is Jarvis.”  
“I’m gonna call you God, is that alright with you?” Ophelia whispered at the ceiling, still trying to figure out where the ominous voice was coming from. One of her hands trailed along the wall in attempt to keep her from falling over.  
“I’d prefer Jarvis, but I suppose God would be fine miss Martin.”  
“Thanks God.” She followed the trail of lights in front of her, turning corners as they called for her to. She pointed to random things along the way, asking what they were.  
“Hey God, what’s that?”  
“That’s the communal kitchen, miss.”  
“What’s this?”  
“That’s a door to the stairs, miss.”  
“Yikes. Let’s not take the stairs.”  
“Of course, miss.”  
She followed the trail of lights into the adjacent elevator, letting Jarvis take her to the correct floor. “What’s that?”  
“That’s one of the security cameras, miss.” Jarvis replied before opening the elevator doors.  
“Oooh, so people can see me right now?” She asked, smiling into the lens before making a peace sign with her fingers. “Hellooooooo!”  
“I’d advise lowering your voice miss Martin. You are now entering the residential levels.”  
She giggled to herself before speaking in a quieter voice, “Sorry God.”  
“It’s quite alright miss Martin.”  
“Thanks your holiness.” She said, rubbing her bloodshot eyes. Since her eyes were shut, she didn’t see that she was walking right at a wall. Bumping into the wall, she noticed that something jabbed her in the side. “What was that?”  
“That was a doorknob, miss.”  
“Oh, oops.” She giggled at her obliviousness, enjoying her drunken state. “Who’s room is it?”  
“Sargent Barnes’s room, miss.”  
“Oh, really?” She smiled. Oh, how she liked Bucky. He made her smile and laugh, not to mention the fact that he was genuinely kind to her when he didn’t have to be. She liked that.  
If she were to have better judgment, she wouldn’t have knocked on his door. Maybe a couple glasses of vodka ago she would have made a different decision, but that was a couple of vodkas ago. She knocked on his door enthusiastically, hoping that she would be able to check on her lonely, usually sad friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a HUGE fan of Darcy Lewis and Jane Foster, if you can't tell.   
> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	14. Drunken Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia finds herself drunk while standing in front of Bucky's door. Feels ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to add some feels in this chapter. Please tell me how I did!

Sure enough, after about twenty seconds the door swung open, revealing a very awake Bucky Barnes. “Hey Buckaroo, watcha up to?” Ophelia giggled at her rhyme before sending him a proud smile. “I rhymed.”  
“I can see that. What are you doing up at this hour Ophelia?” Bucky crossed his arms as he leaned into the doorframe, his expression a mix of amusement and concern.  
“Why, what time is it?” She looked down to her wrist, frowning when she noticed the absence of a watch. “My wrist won’t tell me the time.”  
Bucky chuckled before lifting his wrist up, “It’s a quarter past one, doll.”  
“Oh,” She said, a pensive look on her face. “I’m sorry, I must have woken you up. Sorry Buck!” Ophelia started to turn and leave, but Bucky gingerly caught her wrist.  
“You didn’t wake me up.” He gave her his version of a smile- a twitch of his lips- before admitting that his nightmares were keeping him up. He held his hand out to her, “Here, why don’t you come in and have a drink of water.”  
“Thanks Buck, you’re the best bro ever.” She took his hand and let him lead her into his apartment, her drunken eyes flickering all over his space. She noted that it was quite clean, but she told herself she would analyze that later. When she was more sober.  
Bucky led her right up to his kitchen island, pulling a stool out from under it. “Sit.” He said before moving around her and over to grab a cup from one of the cabinets.   
“You know,” Ophelia started, a sad look on her face, “I shoulda figured this would happen. I should have known you’d be having trouble.”  
“What, with the nightmares?” He asked as he brought the glass under the tap, running it for a moment to let the water cool.  
“Yeah. I should have remembered that you were going to have them for a while.” She replied, taking the glass when Bucky handed it to her. “Thanks.”  
“No problem.” His brows furrowed as he mulled over her words. How would she have known that he was having problems with nightmares? How would she, of all people, know this? “What do you mean doll?”  
“I know a lot Buckaroo. I knew that you were going to have trouble, I just forgot. That’s on me. I should have remembered.” She paused, taking a sip of the water. “I should have remembered.”  
Bucky’s eyes softened as he realized just how much this was taking a toll on her. No matter how hard it was to admit to himself that she cared about him, he knew it was true. For some odd reason she had decided to befriend him, there was no denying it. The least he could do was dispel her worries. He carefully reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, squeezing them lightly to get her full attention. “It was not your fault. None of this is your fault.”  
Ophelia looked away to frown at her cup, still upset that she couldn’t do more to help him. “You really believe that?”  
“I really do.”  
She studied him for a moment before sighing. “Fine. But I am going to help you from now on. That’s fair, right?”  
Bucky smiled softly at his friend. “Yeah, I suppose it is.”  
Ophelia clapped her hands, wincing slightly when it was too loud for her ears. “Yay! I’m glad that I will be able to help you.”  
“I still don’t understand why you want to help me.” He stated, leaning against the kitchen counter as he looked at her sitting in her dazed state.  
“You only want good for the world; your deepest desire is to help people, to make things right. That’s beautiful.” She replied, blinking lazily as she spoke. “You are a beautiful person, Bucky Barnes. Broken, but beautiful nonetheless.”  
He scoffed, appalled that anyone could think this highly of him. He was a murderer- a killer. A cold blooded killer. “That’s rich. I may be broken, but I’m anything but beautiful.”  
“Of course you’re beautiful.”  
He just rolled his eyes before asking, “Really? You’re just drunk. You don’t believe that.”  
Her eyes widened, shock running through her warm, buzzing body. “Not only do I believe this, but I believe this with all my heart. Bucky, you have to believe me- you are a good person.”  
“How could I ever be good?”  
“Do you want the best for Steve?”  
“I don’t see what this has to do with any-”  
“Well, do you?”  
“Of course. I love that kid.”  
“And you want the best for me?”  
“Always.”  
“And you know what you were forced to do was wrong?”  
“Well, of course it was wrong.”  
“Exactly Buck. It was wrong and you know that. Only a good person would know that.”  
“Even if this is true, how could anyone possibly help me?” He asked, running his fingers exasperatedly through his hair.   
“Believe in me.” She smiled before leaning closer to him. “That’s the secret, Bucky- believe in me.” She whispered.  
He couldn’t help but smile back at his friend and her amazingly pure heart. “I will try my hardest to believe in you.”  
“Promise?” She asked, looking up at his face as she thrust her pinkie finger towards his chest.  
“I promise I will try.” He hooked his finger with hers, sharing a look of hope with her. Maybe, just maybe, he could get better. With her help, of course.  
“That’s good enough for me, Buckaroo. You know why?”  
“Why?”  
“Because now I know that you know that you’re not alone.” She gave him a wide smile. “And that’s all I want.”  
He smiled when she giggled at her trail of words that made little sense. At least he still understood what she was trying to get across. “Okay, Ophelia, let’s get you to bed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was short. There will be another short chapter or two after this until the big shit starts to go down. I'm looking at you, chapters 17 and 18!  
> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	15. Hangovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia wakes up the morning after she drank too much. Oh, and she makes a couple of new friends along the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to meet Natasha and Clint!

Ophelia woke the next morning with a shadow over her, blocking the sun from shining onto her eyes. She thought it was a bit funny because she could have sworn that she had left the shades open the night before when Bucky dropped her off in her room.  
“Good morning принцесса,” A woman’s voice said, startling her from her half unconscious state. She ungracefully jumped from her place under the covers, effectively tangling herself in them. Her eyes shot open to reveal one very hot and very close russian woman.  
“What?” She said, looking up at the woman- Natasha.  
“Принцесса. It means princess.” Natasha drawled, leaning back onto the wall space next to her bed.  
Ophelia scooted her body up until it hit the headboard, looking around the room, still in a daze. “I, um, why- why are you here?”  
“Tony told me that he let his new guest get drunk on her first night in the tower. I wanted to make sure you got the right first impression.”  
Ophelia groaned. “Apparently I didn’t make mine a good one.”  
“What?” Natasha asked, “You think you messed up your first impression on us?”  
Ophelia buried her head in her hands, groaning some more. “I know I did.”  
The redhead just chuckled. “Blame Tony. Everyone else does.” She said with a small smirk on her lips.  
“That really works?”  
“Yes, it really does.”   
Ophelia sat back, leaning against the hard wooden backing of the bed. “Huh.”  
“In your defense, he’s really easy to blame.” Natasha looked down at her nails, carefully inspecting them. Ophelia had no clue how this gesture made her look threatening, but boy did it work.  
Gathering up all of her courage she asked, “No offense, but why are you here?”  
“I said that I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression.”  
“And that is?”  
“Not everyone is going to buy your lies, принцесса.”  
Ophelia’s eyes widened. “E-excuse me?”  
“I’ve read my reports from Fury- I know you have quite a lot of secrets you aren’t allowed to tell. Even drunk Tony was suspicious of you based off of last night’s events.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“When Tony looked you up in the world’s public databases, you didn’t exist. The files on you that did exist were so locked down and hidden in the SHIELD remnants that even Tony couldn’t access them. And Tony swiped Fury’s access codes last time they met. In fact, any information on you from the run down SHIELD database files require not one, but two higher ups to unlock them.”  
“What does that have to do with last night?”  
“While the majority of the drinking was due to Tony’s recent frustration with not being able to access your files, he also was hoping that you would open up to him a bit more with a bit of… encouragement.”  
“Are you saying that he was trying to get me drunk so that I would talk?” Ophelia was fully awake now, her eyes narrowed at the lethal woman in front of her.  
“Not exactly. He wasn’t looking for anything top secret- just menial, mundane information to know that you weren’t holding up some sort of cover.” She said, crossing her arms. “Basically, he was making sure you weren’t some sort of SHIELDRA plant and/or spy. That’s the last thing any of us would want.”  
“Why didn’t you just tell him what you knew about me?”  
“Well, that would be spoiling a bit of the fun, now, wouldn’t it?” She shuckled before kicking herself off of the wall, offering her hand. “From what I’ve read, you have done nothing wrong- you were simply in the wrong place in the wrong time. Because of that, I’d like to help you, if you’ll let me.”  
Ophelia stared at Natasha’s hand for a good minute before grasping it firmly, pulling herself out of the bed. “Okay then, where do we begin?” She replied, scanning her tank top and shorts-clad body before asking, “May I get changed first, though?”  
***  
“Oh my god, where did you learn to cook like this?” Ophelia really did try to keep quiet while she was eating, but this food was just so damn good that she absolutely had to give her compliments to the chef.  
Natasha smiled at the younger woman as she ate the pancakes from her own plate. “I went undercover in a diner once. It was owned by a nice old lady with the best recipes in the world- she took a liking to me and decided to share.”  
“She must have been nothing short of an angel because these are heavenly!” A small dribble of syrup streamed down her chin as she spoke, overflowing from the most recent bite she shoveled into her mouth.  
Natasha had a faraway look in her eyes as she replied, “Yeah, she really was a saint.”  
Ophelia noticed this and immediately tried to bring the redhead back into the present. “Thank you again for making this for me, Natasha, it means a lot that someone is trying to help me.”  
Natasha blinked for a moment before regaining her composure, sending a small smile in the other woman’s way. “It’s really not a problem принцесса.”  
“Still,” She said before placing another mouthful of pancake into her mouth. After chewing she continued, “You have no reason to help me. You are a good person, you know that right?”  
Natasha’s lips tightened into an ingenuine smile.  
“You really are. You may not know it, but you are. What do you know about me?”  
“You know more than any civilian should.”  
Ophelia chuckled into her food. “Well, that’s the understatement of the century.” She ate her last bite of pancake before walking over to wash her plate in the sink. As she turned the water on she continued. “That much is true. So trust me when I say that you are a good person. I know what you’ve done- both good and bad- and though it may seem like the bad outweighs the good, that’s not true. You have done more good than you might have realized over the years, from saving an entire city- the entire world even- by closing the tesseract’s portal to being the friend that Steve needed.” Ophelia looked behind her for a moment to lock eyes with Natasha before saying, “And we both know just how much he needed friends. He was getting damn near suicidal to my knowledge. I always hated that.”  
“I saw it too. How empty he looked all the time- I worried about him constantly. I was afraid that one day he wouldn’t come back from a mission.”  
“That very well could have happened if you weren’t there to help him along, you know.” Ophelia said as she finished washing her plate. She dried it with a towel before putting it back in it’s place above the kitchen counter. “Your friendship helped him hold onto his hope- his life- long enough until Sam and came into the picture, Bucky not too long after that. But it will always have been you that saved him. Remember that.”  
“I hardly did anything for him other than pestering him to go on dates.”  
“Still, knowing that you cared enough to do that saved him from a certain fate.”  
Ophelia claimed her seat at the kitchen table next to Natasha, quieting to let the redhead think it over. “I suppose that is true.”   
“It is Natasha.” She carefully reached out and patted the older woman on her shoulder. “You’re a lot more important to these people than you think.”  
Then Natasha looked at Ophelia- really looked at her. She practically looked into her soul- searching for what, Ophelia wasn’t sure. Maybe she was looking for something to suggest that Ophelia was lying. When she saw nothing of the sort, Natasha spoke. “Thank you.”  
“It is a pleasure to help, Natasha.”  
Natasha smiled. “Please, call me Nat.”  
Ophelia didn’t think she had smiled that brightly since she had arrived in this universe. Call the famous Black Widow by a nickname a select few called her? Hell yeah!  
***  
“You know, you always struck me as more of a Mulan person than a Tangled person.”  
Natasha raised an eyebrow, the tips of her mouth curving upwards. “Oh, really?”  
“Yeah, with all that girl power and cleverness. Either Mulan or Brave, but I think that would be more of a Clint movie than anything.”  
“I wholeheartedly agree with that, right Clint?” Natasha stood up and walked to the other side of the room, stopping under the ceiling vent. Ophelia covered her mouth, giggles almost escaping her as the woman took the grate off of the vent, revealing Clint’s head.  
“I did happen to like Brave.”  
“You know,” Ophelia paused, looking at the pair in front of her, “Merida kinda looks like the love child of the two of you.”  
Natasha and Clint looked themselves over before Clint fell out of the vent, causing Natasha to smile at her goofy friend. “I can see that.” She said after looking down at Clint for another moment.  
“That’s what I was thinking. Merida has the perfect blend of badass and goofy- not to mention that she is an excellent marksman.”  
“Not as good as me though,” Clint said, regaining his composure at his place on the floor before standing up and dusting himself off. “You would think that the vents would be less dusty if I was in there all of the time.”  
“I always wondered if vents were as dusty as the seemed,” Ophelia wondered aloud, gazing at the vent that Clint came from. “I mean, dust would settle up there just like anything else, right?”  
“I know right? It’s a good thing I’m not allergic to that stuff.”  
Ophelia crinkled her nose before replying, “I am.”  
Clint strode over to the couch Ophelia was sitting on, jumping over the back and landing on the cushion next to her. “Clint Barton, nice to meet ya.”  
Ophelia held out her hand. “Ophelia Martin. Accomplice to Steve Rogers.”  
Clint took her hand and shook it, raising a brow as she mentioned her relation to Steve. “And how did a gal like you end up with an old goober like him?”  
“He needed a friend and so did I. Simple as that.” She smiled, her mind replaying all her best moments with her brotherly friend. The time they got into a food fight came to mind, along with all their fun movie nights with her, Steve and Sam.  
“I’m glad he found someone he could rely on,” Clint said, “You and Sam are good for him.”  
“A therapist and a doctor-in-training wannabe therapist? You bet!”  
He raised his eyebrows at her as Natasha took a seat on his other side. “You are going to be a doctor?”  
“More like a hospice, really. You know, the kind that helps with the terminally ill or dying. Usually old people though.”  
“That’s rough.”  
“Well,” Ophelia sighed, “I’m good with the philosophical questions and talking with people. It’s kind of demanding in that career.”  
“When do you graduate?”  
Ophelia cringed. “I’m kind of on a break as of late.” She answered honestly, knowing that there was no real reason to lie. “With the whole Steve and Bucky thing happening, along with some personal issues, I just don’t have time to continue my studies.”  
“I see,” Clint replied, looking her over, “Everyone’s got shit to deal with. Trust me, we know.” He gave her a soft smile that was easy for her to return.  
“Thank you.”  
“No problem,” He replied, throwing his left arm over Natasha’s shoulders, “We’re here to help if you need anything.”  
“That in the superhero description?”  
“More like in the decent human description.” Natasha answered with a thoughtful look on her face.  
“That’s true.” Ophelia smiled. “Now who’s up for some Disney?”  
Clint and Natasha just smiled as Ophelia grabbed the remote and began flicking through the options.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Half way through I sort of forgot that she had a hangover, so let's just say that she takes her alcohol well. Plus, Bucky made her drink lots of water before she went to bed which should have helped. 
> 
> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	16. A Day In The City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia and Bucky get out of the tower after a week of being caged up. Chaos ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: close sexual assault, swearing, violence

“Okay, Bucky, we have a serious problem here!” Ophelia opened the door to Bucky’s apartment, walking in without a care. She and him both had been cramped in the tower for almost a week and she was starting to go a bit crazy with cabin fever.  
Bucky jumped into the kitchen, his eyes wide and stance ready for a fight. “What’s wrong?” He nearly shouted at her. His eyes immediately searched her form for any sign of damage, and he relaxed a bit after taking into account that there was nothing wrong with her.  
“We have been cramped up in this tower for too long. Let’s go out!”  
His eyes narrowed. “What?”  
“Oh, don’t be a hermit, Buck. Let’s go out.”  
“I’m not being a hermit,” He deadpanned, a stoic expression on his face, “I’m being safe.”  
“Safe, shmafe. You’ll drive yourself crazy if you keep brooding in here any longer. That, my friend, isn’t very safe at all.”  
His brows furrowed and he rubbed his face. After an exasperated sigh, he responded. “What did you have in mind?”  
Ophelia practically squealed with joy. “Okay, well, there are a few destinations nowhere near brooklyn- I didn’t wasn’t sure if you were ready for that yet- that I found; there were a couple hole-in-the-wall places that Pepper freaking Potts spoke highly of, but they all seem a bit extravagant and expensive for both of our tastes. I was definitely thinking of activities on a lower scale. Get changed and we can go.”  
“Yes ma’am!”  
***  
“Okay, so before I came to you this morning I did some searching on the internet for places to go. All of the places that I mapped out are lower key and less crowded, since I didn’t think that you’d appreciate a crowded joint if you had an accident.” She looked up at him, continuing after she got his nod of approval. “Good. But I also have more busy places marked as well just in case you feel it’s getting too quiet. You see?” She placed her phone into Bucky’s open palm, letting him look over her color-coordinated map.  
“You’re really thorough, you know that?” He inquired before handing it back to her.  
She just smirked. “Yeah, of course I am. How else am I supposed to keep you guys in line?”  
“True,” He replied, a thoughtful look on his face.  
Ophelia was trying to think up a funny remark when she heard a woman’s cry for help in the distance. “Please, someone, anyone, he-” Her voice was muffled after that, and she was afraid to see what was happening to the poor woman. Despite her fear, Ophelia shot down the sidewalk while Bucky was still frozen in place. Later. She would deal with that later. Right now the only thing that mattered was the fact that a woman was in trouble.  
Ophelia skidded to a halt in front of a dark alley as she saw a man pulling down a woman’s pants, his pants already down. Bucky, who had recovered from his bout of stillness ran to her side, stunned by the sight in front of him.  
“Hey! You!” Ophelia yelled at the top of her lungs, making nearly all of the passerbyers turn to look at where she was running. “Get off of her!”  
Before Bucky could even get a word in she was lunging onto the man’s back, clawing at his eyes while he was still stunned. (Yes, she was clawing at his eyes. She had read many articles on self defense in her time and she knew that her best chances for taking out a man this large were slim with her strength. This meant that she had to play dirty.)  
“You stupid fucking piece of trash! How dare you try to assault this poor girl!”  
The next thing she knew she felt hands lifting her off of the man, who was now screaming about his eyes. (“God Bucky, it’s not like I actually poked his eyes out!”) “Ophelia, that’s enough.”  
“No, he needs to get what he deserves!” She yelled, reaching her hands out to try to grab the assaulter.   
“Trust me, he’s down. And there’s no point in kicking someone after they’re down.” He waited for her to calm down and nod before placing her back on her feet. She looked up at him through her blurry eyes; she didn’t even realize that she was tearing up. “Why don’t you go talk to the woman over there while I check on this guy? Then we can take him to the station and he can go to jail.”  
After a moment, Ophelia’s lips went from a thin, pressed line to a small smile. “Okay,” She said, looking over at the woman, “I can do that.”  
Bucky gave her a tight smile back, obviously still dealing with the fact that they had a pervert on their hands. Yes, Bucky had done bad things, but he had regretted them all. Yes, he had done bad things, but he had absolutely no respect for perverts- the scum that they are.  
Ophelia wiped her eyes with a fisted up sleeve before slowly walking over to the sobbing asian woman crouched down at the end of the alley. “Hey there,” She said in a calm, friendly voice, “it’s going to be okay.”  
“Thank you for stopping him,” She sniffed, “I tried to get him off of me, I- I really did but-”  
Ophelia bent down, crouching low to the ground before tentatively pulling the woman in for a hug. Though she was good with her words most of the time, she was better at giving hugs. Nice, warm hugs. “I know you tried- but now it’s over. It’s going to be okay now. You’re going to be okay.”  
The woman jumped further into Ophelia’s arms, crying into her shoulder heavily. Ophelia made soothing noises while rubbing careful circled into the woman’s back, letting her take the time she needed to compose herself.  
“That’s right, it’ll be okay.” She whispered into her ear. “You’ll be okay.” As an afterthought, she added,” What’s your name miss?”  
“Jenny. Jenny Clearwater.”  
“Okay Jenny. You know what?”  
Jenny sniffled into Ophelia’s shirt. “What?”  
“You and me? And my friend over there?” She said, pointing over to Bucky as he restrained the attacker. “We’re going to make sure this never happens again. You up for that?”  
Jenny leaned back and wiped her eyes with her hands before wiping her nose with her sleeve. After squaring her shoulders shakily she fixed her gaze onto the man who attacked her, a determined look in her eyes. “Hell yeah I am.”  
Ophelia grinned at the woman in front of er, proud that she was being so strong. “Then let’s do this.” Ophelia stood up and brushed off her jeans before giving the woman a hand to stand back up. Jenny took it gratefully and they linked arms before walking back to Bucky.  
“I think we’re ready to bring this piece of trash in, Buck.”  
“Thank you both- thank you so much.” Jenny said, looking between Ophelia and Bucky. While Ophelia smiled at the woman, Bucky just shrugged his shoulders while looking away.  
“Really, thank you.” She repeated, trying to catch Bucky’s eye. He was, after all, one of her rescuers.   
He finally looked back and replied with a grim smile, “It’s a pleasure to get scum like him off of the streets.”  
“True that.” She replied, a shaky smile growing on her face. Ophelia could tell that the shock was quickly fading from her system, and she wanted to get Jenny to the police station with a family member before she completely fell apart.  
“Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?” Ophelia asked, looking over from Bucky back to Jenny. She nodded and then they were on their way.  
They must have been quite the sight, the four of them: Bucky restraining the attacker, Jenny, and Ophelia. They walked through the streets at a steady pace, arriving at the nearest station quicker than they would have thought.  
Ophelia was quick to open the door for Bucky while he held the man, which received a brief nod of gratitude from him. As soon as they entered people were already giving them looks, from the police behind the counter to the people in the waiting area.   
Jenny took Ophelia’s hand as they walked up to the counter, and when Ophelia felt that Jenny was going to back down she just grasped her hand tighter. “We got this.” She whispered into Jenny’s ear.   
The woman gave a shaky nod before replying, “I trust you.”  
Deciding that Jenny was still a bit too shaken up to speak, Ophelia moved forward to speak to the policeman sitting behind the counter. “Hi- I’m going to cut right to the chase and say that we have an attempted rapist on our hands,” She said, pointing towards the douchebag that Bucky was restraining. “We still have him, so you can register him into the system, right?”  
The man looked from her, to Jenny, to Bucky, to douchebag. “I’m sorry ma’am but you have to have more evidence than just a claim.”  
Ophelia’s eyes practically bulged out of her head. “Excuse me? He had his pants down ready to do the deed to this poor woman,” She gently patted Jenny’s arm, making sure to use her words carefully, “isn’t that enough?”  
“Do you have any witnesses?”  
“Yes! Both myself and my friend!” Ophelia thrashed her hand in the general direction of Bucky, and he jumped right into the conversation.  
“She’s right. Both she and myself are witnesses to this crime.”  
“You can report this, right?”  
The man sighed and opened his mouth to speak, “This is going to be an agonizingly long night, isn’t it?” Bucky immediately cringed and narrowed his eyes at the man. He would have immediately started to yell at the man for his behavior if it didn’t look like steam was coming out of Ophelia’s ears. Yeah, she was outraged to say the least. He was going to let her have this one.  
“How dare you say that! You have no right to say something like that- especially when the victim is right here in front of you! What kind of professionalism is this?”  
“Ma’am, I meant no disrespect-”  
“In what world would it be okay to say that when a woman was just violated? Aren’t you supposed to be a professional?”  
“I am so sorry miss- I truly am. Now, if you’ll follow me we’ll get this straightened out right away.”  
***  
In the end, ‘douchebag’ aka Johnny Williams, was entered into the system of possible sex offenders. After she saw this entered with her own eyes, Jenny decided that the cops could handle it from there; she decided that she wanted to go home. Bucky and Ophelia brought her back to her four story apartment building nearby, not leaving until Jenny waved from the window of her apartment.  
Ophelia and Bucky walked back to the tower in silence, both of them immersed in their own minds. When they arrived and walked into the private elevator, she hit the button for the roof.  
“Where are we going?” Bucky asked, snapping out of his thoughts.  
She carefully grabbed his bionic hand, giving him a soft smile. “We’re going to talk about what happened.”  
“Oh,” He replied, thinking back to when he froze, “okay.”  
Ophelia didn’t let go of his hand until the elevator dinged, signaling that they were at the top of the tower. The duo walked out and she led him to one of the benches a safe distance away from the edge. She sat down and slid to the left, giving Bucky room to sit down next to her. He sat down slowly, preparing himself for what was to come.  
“I’m not mad or anything, you know.” She stated after a minute of silence, looking up at him. “There’s nothing to be mad about.”  
“I froze.” He stated, not bothering to give any more than that. There was enough distaste for himself in those two words than he could have had in a full, proper sentence.  
“Yeah- it happens to everyone.” She replied firmly. “I would have too if I wasn’t so afraid of the consequences.”  
“But I completely froze up back there. I was of no use to you.”  
“Bucky, you don’t need to be ‘of use’ to anyone, you know that right?”  
“Then what do you get out of me being around?” He asked, disgust for himself evident in his voice, “I’m useless.”  
“I don’t want to ‘use’ you Buck. I want you around because I like you. So what if you froze up? I got that bastard. A part of being friends is working together- when one of us freezes up, the other helps out. Simple as that.”  
“You really think I’m your friend?” He had an incredulous look on his face, like he couldn’t believe her words. He really was far gone.  
“Of course Bucky. You’re like family to me.”  
“What- you mean- how?”  
“Bucky, we’ve known each other for around a month. I’ve known Steve for a little over half a year. Yet I’ve never been closer to anyone other than my mother. You guys are like family to me because I care about you, and dare I say that you care about me?”  
He seemed shocked that she would be considering the notion that he wouldn’t care. “Of course I do!”  
“Exactly Buck.” She said, swinging her feet under the bench. “There’s a reason people like you and people like me find each other. Maybe it’s fate. But I know that there was a reason that I found you.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“We both needed a friend- someone to care about. And we found each other.”  
He chuckled, “More like you found me.”  
“Trust me Buck,” She said, “You found me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I was sort of proud of the ending and the fact that I made Ophelia more of a BAMF. 
> 
> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	17. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia and the gang have their first movie night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was personally very fun to write. Plus, I love all of the movies that are mentioned. Except The Aristocats. I've never seen that movie.

“I know you guys aren’t caught up. I’m here to change that.” Ophelia plopped down onto the couch as Steve and Bucky scooted away from one another, giving her room to sit between them. “You guys ready to be introduced to the wonders of modern day film?”  
“Would it be bad if I said no?” Bucky asked jokingly, and Ophelia elbowed him with a smile.  
“Yes, yes it would.” She joked back. “Steve, how about you?”  
“I guess so. I haven’t been able to catch up with everything going on recently.”  
“Well, now I’m here. So consider yourself saved!” She threw her arm around his shoulder (Yes, only one shoulder. What? That guy is large!) and grabbed the remote with her free hand. She turned the tv on and asked, “Do you know if Tony has a dvd collection in here?”  
“Yeah,” Steve replied, “It’s in the cabinets under the tv.”  
She jumped out of her seat and walked over to the sleek black cabinets before kneeling down to open them. What met her eyes was quite literally heaven. “Oh my god guys! He has everything!” Her eyes skimmed the various titles, widening as she realized just how many movies there were. “He hads everything sorted by genre too! OH MY GOD!”   
“What?” Bucky sat up, ready to protect his friend. “What’s wrong?”  
“He has a whole Disney section. An entire complete Disney section! Who has that?” She looked back at Steve and Bucky, and apologized once she saw their intense gazes. “Oops, sorry guys. I didn’t mean to startle you. It’s just-” She said, looking down, “I haven’t been this happy in a while. I guess the movies were just the icing on the cake. The cake being an already good day.”  
Both Steve and Bucky's’ gazes softened as they heard her reasoning, as they too had noticed that she hadn’t been that happy lately. “It’s alright.” Steve said.  
“Thanks,” She smiled to herself, glad that she had such understanding friends like them. “Have either of you seen any Disney movies?” When both men shook their heads, Ophelia just smiled. She knew what movie they were going to watch.  
After hiding the disk she picked out and placing it into the dvd player she plopped back down between her boys. “Steve, can you make popcorn? Please?” Ophelia batted her eyes, knowing that he couldn’t resist her bambi eyes.   
“Ugh, fine.” He relented, getting up from his spot on the couch. She moved over to take his spot.  
“Don’t worry Steve! I’ll keep your seat warm!”  
“Then who’s going to keep me warm?” Bucky wondered aloud, to which Ophelia replied with a soft chuckle.  
“Don’t worry, the popcorn will be plenty warm enough,” She said in his direction, “plus, I’ll be next to you. I’ll keep you warm.” She said as Bruce and Tony walked into the room.  
“Did I hear someone say popcorn?” Tony asked.  
“Yep!” Ophelia said, stretching her legs out to cover her spot as well as Steve’s. What? She had to make sure no one took her seat in between two of her two favorite people.  
Tony and Bruce took a seat on the couch next to theirs, Tony asking Jarvis to invite Pepper to join them. “Tell her I said please.” He said, before adding, “And tell her there will be popcorn.”  
“Certainly, sir.” Jarvis replied before surely notifying Pepper.  
“Did I hear popcorn?” Darcy asked as she walked into the room, Jane trailing behind her.  
“Darcy! Jane!” Ophelia called happily.  
“Hey Ophelia! But seriously did I or did I not hear the word ‘popcorn’?”  
“Hell yeah you did!” Ophelia replied happily as they took a seat on one of the love seats lining the room. “Steve?”  
Steve sighed from the adjoining kitchen, “Already on it.”  
“This is why you’re my favorite Steve!”  
“Hey!” Bucky poked her foot protestingly. “I thought I was your favorite.”  
“You both are my favorites, Buck, don’t worry.” She sent him a soft smile. He gave her a genuine smile back. Darcy wiggled her brows at Ophelia from across the room.  
Before she could say anything to her suggestive friend, Ophelia noticed Natasha slinking into the room. When she raised her eyebrows at the russian, she just replied, “I smelled popcorn.”  
Pepper walked in behind Natasha, making her way over to Tony. Natasha, however, walked over to the vent and pulled out the grate to reveal Clint’s head. “Time to come out dummy,” She said, pulling on his ear. Clint climbed out and put the grate back in place before taking a seat next to the redhead on the last empty loveseat.   
“So, what movie are we watching?” Tony asked as his fingers carded through Pepper’s hair.  
“You’ll have to guess.” Ophelia replied slyly, “The only hint I’m giving is that it’s Disney.”  
“Brave?” Clint asked,  
“The Aristocats?” Tony prompted,  
“Wall-E?” Bruce inquired,  
“The Incredibles?” Asked Pepper.  
“Nope, nope, sorry no, and nope. Though now that I think about it, The Incredibles would be fun to watch.”  
Finally, Natasha put the rest of them out of their misery. “Mulan?”  
Ophelia just smiled.  
***  
“Oh my god Buck,” Ophelia whispered into Bucky’s ear, “It’s almost time!”  
“Time for what?” He whispered back.  
“Only the biggest montage of my childhood!” She really tried to keep her voice down, she really did. But that didn’t stop the looks from Natasha or Tony’s shushing. “You just wait Buck. It’s awesome.”  
A few minutes later and it was nearly time. Ophelia had to restrain herself from jumping out of her seat, knowing that it might have startled a couple people in the room- startling a group of assassins was NOT how she was going to spend her movie night. However, she did decide to let herself sing with the characters on the screen.  
Then the music started. “Let’s get down to business,” She whispered to herself, smiling when she saw Clint, Bruce, Darcy and Jane starting to sing along to themselves as well. “To defeat the huns!”  
“Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons?” Ophelia’s voice got louder as they continued to sing, her eyes lighting up with the purest, brightest childlike light. “You’re the saddest bunch I’ve ever met, and you can bet before we’re through- mister I’ll make a man out of you!”  
By the time the second chorus came in, everyone in the room was singing along with Mulan and her friends. And what a sight that was. All of the avengers and friends were singing on the top of their lungs, even Steve and Bucky- who were totally immersed in the film. Ophelia watched Bucky’s brows furrow as Mulan pushed through the crowd to confront the men recruiting her father, she watched his mouth turn downwards as Mulan sang about finding herself, and she watched him grin at Mushu’s silliness. She was starting to think that it was weird that she was watching him all that time, but she filed those thoughts away for later. Surely she was just watching because she cared about her friend, right?  
Little did she know that as she sang along, with that childlike glint in her eyes shining bright, the others were looking at her. Little did she know that they were wondering what had happened to their friend- what had dulled her light. What had made her sad. Little did they know just how much pain Ophelia dealt with on a daily basis, having to deal with the fact that her family was probably missing her and that she was definitely missing them.   
***  
The rest of the movie passed in a blur, all smiles and giggled from the team aside. Ophelia took it as a personal victory that everyone enjoyed themselves, knowing fully well that they all needed it. Everyone had enough on their plates already; it was good to get their minds off their troubles for a little while.  
After all, Jane and Darcy were still dealing with the aftermath of the London Invasion, waiting for Thor to return while working on the Einstein-Rosen bridge. Pepper had been dealing with the events of what happened in Iron Man 3, as was Tony (she had to remind herself to ask about Tony’s impending surgery), not to mention the fact that they were running Stark Industries while caring for a tower full of superheroes on the side. And then there was Bruce, having to deal with his anger ‘issues’ day by day.  
Ophelia was too afraid to ask Natasha about how she was dealing, but she was sure that the russian was not doing the best that she could as of late. The same went for Clint, who was still dealing with the death of Coulson (should she tell him that Phil was alive?)  
Then there was Steve dealing with his depression while helping his friend. And oh, Bucky was having enough of a hard time as it was. Seeing Tony every day was an ongoing reminder of what he was forced to do to Howard and Maria, not to mention the fact that he was dealing with all the other returning memories of his other victims and missions.   
Basically, everyone in the tower was a mess. But they were her mess, Ophelia thought, and they were good enough for her.   
Ophelia didn’t like thinking about how much of a mess she actually was.  
“So, did you guys like the movie?” She asked, turning towards Steve and Bucky.  
“It was good!” Steve replied, a smile on his lips.  
“It really was,” Bucky added, a smile gracing his face. “I liked how clever she was.”  
“She is as clever as they come,” Darcy continued, “She was always my favorite Disney princess.”  
“But she’s not a princess.” Tony said, “Why would you say that?”  
“Dude, she saved the entirety of China. Of course she’s a fucking princess!” Ophelia rebuttled logically.  
“But she never married a royalty or was royalty.” He argued back.  
“Darcy, you’ve got this, right?”  
“You got it, Ophelia.” Darcy replied before firing facts at Tony.  
After Darcy was done verbally slaying Tony’s argument, Ophelia remembered to add that Mulan was based off of a true story. “Yeah, apparently she stayed in the army for years, fighting in their wars.”   
“Really?” Steve asked, grnuinely intrigued.  
“Yeah,” Pepper answered, “I wish they taught kids that in school. I think it would get them more interested in their studies.”  
“I agree,” Jane chimed in, “I would have totally payed more attention in history class if they taught us about this stuff.”  
“I wouldn’t have.”  
“Tony!” Bruce warned gently.  
“What? It’s a good movie, that’s it.”  
Everyone just collectively sighed. Yes, they knew that Tony was just baiting them for a verbal fight. Yes, they knew that Tony actually enjoyed the movie. No one was in the mood to defend the movie though, not when they were cozy and calm on the couches.  
“So,” Ophelia started, “Anyone got any other good movies or shows we should watch?”  
“I was told that Beauty and the Beast was good,” Steve said.  
“That’s too many feels for one night, Steve.” Ophelia replied, already having received enough feels from Mulan for one night. “Maybe another night.”  
“I heard Dexter was good?” Jane said.  
“Doesn’t that have a lot of nudity?”  
“I’d watch it.” Tony said goofily.  
Pepper smacked him on the head. “No, Tony.”   
“How about The Walking Dead?” Ophelia asked, thinking about one of her favorite shows. Boy, did she love that show.  
“The Walking What?” Bruce asked, a confused look on his face.  
“You know, the zombie show?” Ophelia replied.  
“I’ve never heard of it.” Clint said. Okay, if Clint, the ever tv savvy person of the tower, then maybe they just didn’t have the show in this universe. Ophelia swore at the universe in her head.  
“Nevermind. How about Parks and Recreation?”  
***  
Ophelia was on the phone with the producers of AMC that very night, pitching an idea for a new show.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are almost to the next big part of the story. Like, the next two chapters close! Get excited!  
> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	18. My Time With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia and Bucky are alone in the tower. Get your head out of the gutter- they watch Disney movies!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like this! It came pretty naturally to me, so that either means it's really good or really bad. Please comment to tell me how this is!

“You sure you two will be okay on your own?” Steve asked as he rested his hands on her shoulders. Him along with the rest of the Avengers team were all suited up (in their attractive stealth suits- hot damn!) and ready to go on their mission. The only person holding them back from entering the quinjet and leaving was Steve- he was worried about Ophelia and Bucky.   
“Steve, for the last time, we’ll be fine!” She assured him, placing one hand over his. “This isn’t even the first time you and the team have been away since we got here!”  
“That is true punk, and you know it.” Bucky said as he appeared behind Ophelia. “This would be the third time you guys have gone on a mission together since we got here. I think we handled the last two times fine.”  
“You guys ruined my kitchen last time we left you alone!” Tony shouted from where he was leaning on the quinjet across the roof.  
“It’s not ruined if you can clean it up,” Ophelia mumbled, “If you guys had gotten in later you wouldn’t have even known about it!”  
“What she’s trying to say,” Bucky said as he gently pushed Steve towards the jet, “is that we will be fine.”  
Steve sighed. “Alright.” He planted a quick kiss on Ophelia’s forehead before sending Bucky a quick nod and striding away from them. Within a minute the quinjet was up in the air and flying away, leaving Bucky and Ophelia alone together on the roof. Ophelia sighed and leaned backwards, not at all surprised when her back hit a warm, muscular chest.  
“You ready to go back inside?” Bucky asked, his chest vibrating against her back as he spoke.  
“Do you mind if we watched the sunset before we went back inside?”  
Though she didn’t see it, Bucky smiled. “Sure, let’s sit down on the bench.”  
He guided her away from the landing pad and let her sit on the wooden bench before taking a seat beside her. She crossed her legs and faced him, a smile on her face. “Can I play with your hair?”  
Bucky nodded. Weeks ago when they first arrived Bucky was still against being touched, afraid that he would hurt people, but over time Ophelia had changed that. Her touchy-feely attitude towards everyone had quickly surpassed all of his defenses, as he knew that she was not a threat.  
If he recalled correctly, it had started with Steve. How she was always giving him hugs because she knew just how sad he was on the inside, along with making him give her piggyback rides when she was too lazy. Steve often found himself leaning into Ophelia’s touch just because after so many years in the ice and isolation, he liked human contact.  
Natasha was the next person to have their walls broken down by Ophelia, as the girl let the russian play with her hair and cuddle with her. Bucky noticed that Ophelia was giving Natasha the chance to have someone who was openly vulnerable around her. Bucky respected that.  
Then there was Darcy and Jane, who opened up to Ophelia almost right away. All it took for Ophelia was one trip to the good coffee shop down the street wto win over their hearts. Clint was won over much in the same way- with coffee and yummy treats.  
She won over Bruce and Tony next. Darcy had been sick that week, and since she was bedridden, someone else needed to herd the two scientists into doing basic human tasks like sleeping and eating. Ophelia had been more than happy to do the job, along with doing a bit extra for the duo Each day she would bring in some sort of homemade baked good (thank you for the help Jarvis!) to use as an incentive for a good night's sleep. Bruce and Tony were already getting more rested by the time Darcy got better.  
Ophelia was humming softly as her fingers carefully braided his hair, bringing a smile to his face. Yes, she had broke her way through all of his barriers, but it was worth it if it meant to have her smile like that. It only took her a few more minutes to complete the crown of braids she was working on before she decided to face the sunset full on.  
“Bucky?” Ophelia swung her hanging feet under her, observing the view in front of them.  
“Yeah?” He turned his head away from the sun setting to see something more beautiful. Her.  
“Why do you think I love sunsets so much?”  
“Why?”  
“There is something so graceful about them. They aren’t there one minute and gone the next- they fade. Lightly and softly. If I were ever to go, I’d like to go like that.” Bucky would have been worried if her voice was not so soft and light- it was obviously something that just popped into her head, nothing more.  
“Well, lucky for you,you won’t have to think about that for a long time.” He said, a certain firmness in his voice that wasn’t there before. He would make sure that she was always safe, even if it killed him.  
***  
The first few days passed without any incident, Ophelia always making sure that Bucky wasn't alone. (She didn’t like the thought of him being lonely.) It was on the fourth day when something notable happened, and even they Ophelia was able to cover it up.  
***  
“How do you know so much about Steve and I anyways?”  
Ophelia’s heart nearly stopped in her chest- she knew she needed to think fast. Faster than fast. “Well, you and Steve are historical national icons- of course I know a lot about you guys!” That wasn’t a complete lie- Steve and Bucky were historical icons, just not in her universe. “Every kid grows up hearing about the famous Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes.”  
Bucky humphed. “I guess that’s true. It’s just weird to have everyone know everything about you, I guess.” After a moment he added, “But are you sure we’ve never met before?”  
“Why?” She tilted her head, curious. Where was he going with this?  
He shrugged, “I don’t know,” Sighing, he continued, “You always have felt a bit familiar to me, or something. It’s like you remind me of home.”  
“Well, I’m not sure about that first part, but thank you.”  
“Huh,” He mused, “I guess I really do have a home now.”  
“Yes, Buck, yes you do.”  
***  
The next time something big happened, it was two days later. Ophelia and Bucky had just finished watching the part of Beauty and the Beast where Belle had sacrificed herself for her father.  
“Hey,” Bucky whispered, trying not to talk too loudly over the movie, “Never do that, okay?”  
Ophelia playfully gasped, trying to lighten the mood. “Who, me?”  
“Yes, you.” He rolled his eyes, a bit less serious than before. “You are always sacrificing yourself for others. One day that’s going to get you in trouble.”  
“Psh, not me.” She said, knowing that his words were true. She was damn well the most self sacrificial person you’d ever meet, but she didn’t usually like to think about how little she regarded her life. It just made her think of all her other insecurities, which made her think of the fact that she was lonely in this new universe, which would be the start of the never-ending down spiral of her thoughts. “Well, my dad left before I was born, so you don’t have to worry about me running off to sacrifice myself for him.”   
“Oh,” Bucky said before reaching for the remote, pausing the movie. “Do you want to talk about it?”  
Ophelia shook her head, “It’s really fine. I’m over it.” She gave him a soft smile, barely visible in the dimmed common room. She reached for his hand and patted it, wanting to make sure that he knew she was really okay before saying, “Thank you for asking though.”  
“Of course,” He replied, threading his fingers through hers, “Anything for my best girl.” Without letting go of her hand, Bucky used his other hand to press play to resume the movie.  
The rest of the movie was spent cuddling on the couch- ‘it’s not my fault that I’m always cold and you’re a human heater, Buck!- watching the movie. Both of them tensed when the angry mob marched towards the castle, and when Beast ‘died’ Bucky’s grip on her hand tightened. She snuggled in closer to him to help calm his nerves. It worked. He relaxed like putty and molded with her. He let out a relieved sigh when Beast was not dead, smiling at the tv screen.  
Neither of them bothered to speak until the credits started rolling. Bucky was the one to break the silence. “That was a nice movie.”  
“Yeah,” Ophelia agreed, “It was my favorite movie growing up.”  
“I can imagine a small Ophelia falling in love with this movie,” He agreed with a nod of his head, “Dancing along with the teapots, dreaming for the day she would be like Belle.”  
Ophelia chuckled- he was dead on correct. She had danced with the teapots when she was little, hoping for the day that she would be someone’s Beauty. She spent her childhood dreaming for someone to look at her the way Beast did for Belle, with that much adoration in their eyes. Well, she also dreamed that someone would look at her the way Eugene looked at Rapunzel, but that was a whole other movie.  
“Well,” She sighed, “You’re not wrong.”  
Bucky just chuckled. “That’s so cute.”  
“Yeah, but my mom, bless her, had to deal with me singing the songs every day.”  
“You really wanted to be like Belle, didn’t you?”  
“She was one of the smartest and kindest Disney princesses of all, so yeah- of course I did.”  
The next words that Bucky said were mumbled, so quiet that Ophelia had to ask for him to repeat himself. “Would you be my Beauty?”  
Ophelia’s heart fluttered in her chest, never having felt this way before. (Or, at least not for a long time.) That was until she realized what he was truly saying. “While I would love to be your Beauty, Buck,” She said, her voice firm, “You are not a Beast.”  
“But,” He started, “I’ve done so many bad things.”  
“Hydra did that, not you. They did all sorts of shit to you- it wasn’t your fault.”  
“But still-”  
“Nope.” She deadpanned, interrupting his train of thought. “You are in no way beastly. You are a good person.”  
“How am I supposed to believe that when the entire world sees me as a monster?”  
“Don’t waste your time trying to prove that you are a good person. You already are- that’s good enough.”  
“You really believe that?” He asked, his voice incredulous.  
“Really really.”  
Bucky smiled at her, a true, genuine smile. He wasn’t sure what he did to deserve a person that believed this much in him (he wasn’t even sure he deserved it, but damn the world if he’s not allowed to be a bit selfish after all this time) but he didn’t think he was ever going to let her go.  
“I still can relate to Beast, though.” He continued, looking at her.  
Ophelia angled her head to look up at him, a purely curious look in her eyes. “How so?”  
“I saw an enemy in everyone,” He said, looking down. His eyes flickered up from under his eyelashes to meet hers, “but you changed that. You helped me. Thank you.”  
Before she knew what she was doing, Ophelia’s arms were wrapping around his large frame. If her senses were not in overdrive, she would have missed him tensing under her touch before he relaxed. “I’ll always help you Buck! Always!” She buried her head into his warm cotton sweatshirt, taking in his comforting scent of cinnamon and nutmeg and honey.  
“Thank you for that, really.” His arms wrapped around her back, easily engulfing her in his warmth.  
***  
They were in the middle of cuddling while watching Tangled the next day when everything went to shit. Ophelia was in the middle of explaining why Eugene was her favorite Disney prince when the tower’s alarms started blaring so loudly that she had to cover her ears.  
“What’s going on?” She yelled over the screaming alarm. Lights were flashing all around them, making her feel slightly dizzy.   
“I don’t know,” Bucky shouted back, his grip on her tightening almost painfully, “but I don’t like it. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”  
He didn’t bother waiting for her to get up as he did, because before she could comprehend what was happening she was slung over his shoulder. “Where are we going?”  
“Uh,” He said, sounding unsure, “Where do you think the safest place in the tower is?”  
“All the safest places are probably already locked down,” She said loudly, “So I think our best bet would be to head for the labs. I’m assuming they’re made for stronger impacts because of how often things blow up.”  
He grunted before heading towards the stairwell. “Then let’s go there.”  
Ophelia nodded against his back, still hanging limp over his shoulder. He took the stairs two at a time, running at a pace that she was sure was not humanly possible. Super soldiers, am I right?  
They made it to the closest R&D floor in under five minutes, not seeing a single person on their way there. Ophelia sent a quick prayer to the universe, hoping that everyone in the tower would stay safe. Especially Jane and Darcy, who were surely in their lab in the floor below.  
Bucky wasted no time throwing open the doors of the first lab they came across, locking them behind him. He carefully set her down, giving her a quick once over to make sure that she was unharmed. “You alright?”  
“Just dandy,” She replied, “Is it time to barricade the doors?”  
He gave her a tight lipped smile. “Yes, yes it is.”  
The next three minutes were spent pushing desks and other furniture items against the bulletproof (Stark is a paranoid bastard, bless his soul) glass walls and doors until they ran out of furniture. After realizing that they ran out of items, he took her hand and led her to the absolute back of the lab where there was a closet. By the time they reached it the alarm was cut, either meaning something really good or really bad was going to happen. Bucky tensed before ordering her to get in the closet.  
“No matter what you hear, do not open this door. Alright?”  
Though she was slightly shaking with fear (she still had nightmares from her last run-in with the Hydra agent for heaven’s sake!) but she still managed to whisper him a joke. “Would now be a bad time to make a coming out of the closet joke?”  
Bucky sighed, “Only if it is about staying in the closet.” He whispered back before gently shoving her into the closet, locking it behind her. Ophelia shuffled to the back corner of the small room before sliding down to the floor. Since Bucky wasn’t with her, she didn’t have to hide her fear. She was openly shaking now, a few tears escaping her watering eyes. She quickly wiped them away, willing herself to be strong. Who knew? Maybe this wasn’t some sort of Hydra break in?  
She was wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep! Everything is going to shit in the next chapter. On the bright side, you get to see Ophelia being a BAMF. Please comment.  
> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	19. Hurt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia wakes up in Hell. Oh, and there's quite a bit of BAMF Ophelia in this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is probably one of the longest (if not the longest) chapters I have written so far! I hope this was worth the wait!

The first time Ophelia opened her eyes, everything was hazy. She quickly went to blink it away, but she would soon find that she probably didn’t want to see what was waiting for her. She stared up at the mucky grey ceiling for a moment before moving to sit up, frowning when rope chaffed her wrists. She was tied up to some cool, flat surface that she would deem an operation table.   
Trying her best not to freak out, she raised her head to get a better look of the room she was being held in. In front of her was a bleak, grey wall with mold stains in the corners, and to her left was an array of complicated machines and a stool. To her right was a floor-to-ceiling mirror, which she could only assume was an observation window, much to her horror.   
She shivered at the thought of people watching her struggle, but she quickly decided to not give a shit. These were the bad guys and she could struggle all she wanted. Struggling meant that she was trying, and trying would get her closer to getting out. Plus, it was another way to show her defiance, and she was not going to go down without a fight.  
Ophelia’s thoughts were interrupted as the sound of a door slamming open rang in her ears. “Well, Miss Martin, you have been a very difficult subject. Very difficult indeed.”   
“I would have hoped so,” She replied, a scowl on her face, “I hope it was a major inconvenience for all of you.”  
“There’s no need to run your mouth here, miss. Doing so will only get you into more trouble.”  
She was suddenly tempted to yell out every profanity in the book just to spite him. But, her better judgement decided it would be in her best interest if she didn’t anger them. Annoying them was a whole different story. She craned her head around to look at the man talking to her, her eyes honing in on the hideous mustache on his upper lip. “Dude, I know bad guys have some bad senses of style, but seriously- a Stalin mustache? What the fuck?”  
She should have seen the hit coming. One second her face was unbearably cold from the room’s frigid temperature, and the next her cheek was red-hot and stinging. “Ow!”  
Stalin just wiped his hand on his labcoat before grabbing the stool in front of the machines, placing it right next to the table. “It may do you a service to only speak when answering my questions from here on out. Otherwise I might accidentally let my hand slip again.”  
She silently nodded, biting back a list of sarcastic remarks. She spent a moment to wonder why she was so sarcastic and biting when on the offence, but she put it aside to think about another time.  
Stalin crossed his legs after sitting down in the stool, resting the clipboard he held on his thigh to write on. “Name?”  
“Ophelia Elise Martin.” Her voice empty.  
“Age?”  
“Twenty-one.”  
“Affiliation with the Avengers?”  
“Friend.” She tried to ignore the scoff from Mr. Stalin as she said this.  
“Parents?”  
“Nadine and Joseph Martin.”  
“See, little missy, here’s the thing.” He said, leaning forward, “We have spent a great deal of time searching all databases for your presence, yet we have found nothing. It would seem as if you were a ghost.”  
“How did you know?” She snarked, “Damn, my secret is out.”  
“I will ignore your sass, but only this once.” He signed, pushing his glasses further up on his nose. “Would you please tell me how you are not in any of the world’s databases?”  
“It’s actually quite a funny story, you see, I was on a plane going back to college when it went down, crashing into the water. When I resurfaced, the plane was gone and I was here, in a world without my existence.”  
“Are you telling me that you are from a different world?” His eyes widened at the thought. He quickly picked up his pen and urged her to start talking.  
“Yes, I suppose so.”  
“This world that you lived in- what was it like?”  
“Well, we had a hell of a lot of problems, especially where I lived. We had terribly high taxes, horrible gun laws, and awful daytime sitcoms.”  
“Miss Martin, you know that’s not what I’m asking.”  
“What would you like me to say?”  
“In what ways was your world different than ours?”  
“Well, for one, your disgusting organization didn’t exist. Neither did SHIELD. It was just a normal, boring world with a lot of violence.”  
“That’s it?”  
“That’s it.”  
“Surely there must be more? What were the weapons like?”  
“I don’t think they were any different from this universe. Except no weapons made with the tesseract. No Sta-” Ophelia shut her mouth, refusing to say any more. What she had told him up to this point had been next to meaningless, with nothing important slipping out of her mouth. However, if she were to tell him that the Avengers didn’t exist, she was afraid to find out what would happen.  
“No what?” She just shook her head, refusing to let another word pass through her lips. “Well, if that’s all you have to tell me,” He started, reaching back into the waistband of his trousers. The gun that he pulled out looked menacing and evil.  
Ophelia’s blood began to race and her pores began to sweat cold drops as she looked at the weapon. Surely they wouldn’t kill her if she still had so much to tell? “You won’t kill me, remember? I’m your leverage.”  
“Don’t get too ahead of yourself Miss Martin, you’re not that important.”  
She sputtered for a moment, at a loss for words. Sure, she had a low self-esteem growing up, and sure, she had been known to have little self worth- but for someone else to tell this to her was a whole other problem. It was one thing when she was saying these things to herself, at least then she could tell herself this wasn’t true. But, when he said these things with so much conviction in his voice, she couldn’t help but believe him.  
“I have friends in some pretty high places, some friends that you really don’t want to piss off.”  
“Miss Martin, I’m sure whatever friends you have we can take.”  
“Fine then. It’s your funeral.”  
“Actually,” He said, switching the safety off, “It’s yours.”  
“Ooh, aren’t you slick.” Ophelia rolled her eyes, “So, I’m a bit new to the whole murdering scene.”  
“Really? I couldn’t tell.”  
“Yeah, I was just wondering how you’re going to do this if you’re going to be killed by my friends first.”  
“Well, the first rule is technically to shut up.” He said, emphasizing the last two words. “Because you and I both know that your so called ‘friends’ are not coming.”  
“Steve will come for me. Him and Bucky for sure.” Her voice wavered a bit, showing how unsure she was of her own statement. “And Bucky already hates you guys, so I’d start running now.”  
“I hope you realize that befriending Mr. Barnes is a lost cause.”  
“No he’s not. He’s a human being- he just needs to be treated like one.”  
“He’s a lost cause. Not everyone can be saved.”  
“No, he can. I know he can be.”  
It seemed as though Stalin was going to have another comeback, but his words never left his mouth due to the fact that a phone started to sing. Literally- sing. Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’ played from somewhere on his person, and he quickly scrambled to turn it off. He grabbed the phone from his back pocket and attempted to turn off the singing- only it wouldn’t stop. If this were any other time, Ophelia would have giggled at the silliness of the situation. Except it was not funny because she was any moment away from being shot point-blank in the head.  
“What is wrong with this damned phone!”  
“Here, I can probably fix it if you’d like.” She might as well try and use this to her advantage, right?  
His brows furrowed at the thought of cutting her loose, but after he gave her small frame a once-over he was convinced that he could easily overpower her if needed. Plus, if he had to hear that song one more time he might puke. “Sure, kid, just make it quick.” He pulled out a small surgical knife from his lab coat and cut her hand bonds before placing the knife down on one of the machines behind him.  
Ophelia felt free in both the physical and metaphorical sense of the word. She rubbed her newly freed wrists for a moment, touching them with care before sitting up on the table. She turned to Stalin and grabbed the phone, nearly dropping it when the alarms started to go off.   
The light overhead started to flash red as the speakers blared what was surely the loudest setting the alarm could be set to. The building started to shake and rumble, its groans and creaks nearly drowning out the singing phone in her hands. She looked back down at the phone before deciding to risk everything and fight back.  
It seemed that Stalin was also shaken by the alarm going off because he had dropped the gun with surprise. While he bent down to pick it up Ophelia quickly threw the phone at the gun, making both objects skid across the floor. Stalin threw a glare in her direction before going to retrieve them.   
Silently thanking the universe for her streak of luck, Ophelia bent over her legs to undo the ties around her ankles. It took her barely twenty seconds to do, but when she looked back up Stalin had just turned around to look at her. “Uh oh…”  
“Oh, honey, you’re so dead.” And then a shot went off. She let out a cry of fear and tumbled off of the table, landing on her butt on the cold concrete floor. This would have been fine if she hadn’t been changed into a hospital gown with an open back when she was brought in. She barely had time to register the cold before another shot went off, this time hitting the machine right next to her head.  
To her luck, when Ophelia looked up she saw the surgical knife from earlier hanging off the edge of the machine. She quickly grabbed it before lunging for cover, throwing the metal table she once laid on on its side as a shield.   
“It’s friday, friday, gotta get down on friday…” Yes, even with the alarms blaring and the lights flashing every other second the phone was still playing the ridiculous music. She just groaned, annoyed with the situation, “No, I can’t die like this, not to this fucking song!”  
“Come back here you little bitch!”  
“Fuck you!” She yelled before another shot rang out, a bullet piercing the table space right next to her head.   
For a moment she considered yelling out ‘missed me’, but that was before she realized that she could play this to her advantage. She quickly flopped onto her side, slicing her hand with the knife before rubbing the blood on her face and hairline. She made her eyes look closed and tried her best to slow her breathing- if she was going to act dead, she had to do it right.  
He shouted over the alarm, “You alive?” Stalin rounded the corner and looked down at her, bloody face and all. He nudged her body with the tip of his foot, letting out a satisfied grunt when she flopped over like a corpse. “Good.”  
Straightening his glasses, Stalin went to walk out of the room, pressing his finger to the comm in his ear. “Yeah, the girl’s dead.” He swung the door wide open and walked out, not bothering to look behind him.   
As soon as he was no longer in sight Ophelia crawled over to the door, making sure it didn’t close with the fear that it would automatically lock. “Idiot.” She mumbled, jabbing the bloody knife in the door to leave it open a crack while she looked around the room for anything useful.   
The first thing she was able to pocket was a pack of mints which laid on top of one of the machines, still containing half of its contents. Next she was able to recover a decent amount of rope from what had bound her to the table earlier. After that the only other things she saw were the three bullets that were on the floor.  
Her eyes narrowed as her ears picked up on a strange sound, something that sounded like singing. Ophelia nearly face palmed when she remembered that the phone was still in the room somewhere. She got down on all fours and looked around, finding the phone under one of the more menacing machines, carefully sliding the cell out from under it.   
The next bit was the hardest- trying to remember any one of the avengers’ phone numbers. Her first thought was automatically Bucky, but did he even get a phone from Stark yet? Then there was Steve- would he actually answer his phone, especially if it was an unfamiliar number? She didn’t know Natasha’s Clint’s or Bruce’s numbers, and she doubted that even if she did have Stark’s number, it would be hell trying to connect to him.  
Deciding that her best bet would be to call Steve, she quickly dialed the number that he made her memorize. It picked up after three rings. “Hello? Who is this and how did you get this number?”  
“Steve! Oh my god, Steve!” The events from today were starting to catch up with her and it was suddenly very clear that she could have just been killed by Stalin. Her eyes started to feel wet but she wasn’t going to cry now. Not when she was still in danger.  
“Ophelia, is that you?”  
“Yeah, oh god it’s so good to hear your voice.”  
“You’re going to be okay sweetheart, I promise,” She could hear as Steve put the phone to his chest and called for Tony to start tracing the call. “As soon as we get your location we will be on our way. The team is already suiting up as we speak.”  
“Wait,” She paused, looking up at the flashing lights while taking in the sound of the alarms, “You’re not here?”  
She could hear how his voice wavered, and how it physically pained him that he wasn’t there already. “No, we’re not. I’m so sorry.”  
“No, it’s not that, it’s just- someone’s already here. Someone tripped the alarms around five minutes ago.”  
Steve cursed. “That must be Bucky. He disappeared as soon as we got back, saying that we would be too slow to find you. I tried to stop him but he seemed pretty determined to get you back, even if it meant without our immediate help.”  
Not even a moment after the words left Steve’s lips, a lot of grunting noises echoed from the main hallway. “I think I hear him now.”  
“That’s good. We just honed in on your location, so we should be there soon. We’re leaving now- do you want me to stay on the phone with you?”  
“No, you’ll need to talk to the team. I think I can take it from here.”   
“Ophelia, are you sure?”  
“Sure as I’ll ever be, Captain.” With that, she flipped the phone shut, hanging up the call with Steve.  
Ophelia quickly crept over to the door, mindful that there were still Hydra agents out in the hallway. She watched through the crack in the door as Bucky went through them one at a time, leaving them bleeding on the floor. She would have to assess her feelings towards that violence later, because right now she was too busy internally jumping with joy that Bucky was here to save her.  
After a few minutes, the hallway was void of anyone but Bucky. He started to walk in past her door, so she took the opportunity to shoot her hand out and grab his wrist.   
“Bucky?”  
If it were not for her words, Bucky would have easily beaten her down immediately. But he realized that it was her voice, her, asking for him. “Ophelia?”  
“Thank god, Bucky, it’s me.”  
“I was afraid I wouldn’t get here in time,” He swallowed, running a hand through his blood-splattered hair, “I know just how bad it can get in such a short amount of time.” He trailed off, his eyes in a faraway place.  
She snapped her fingers in front of her body, “Hey, I’m alright. I’m fine,” She gestured to her (mainly) unharmed body before continuing, “but we need to get out of here.”  
“Okay,” He mumbled, making it obvious that he had not thought this far ahead in his craze to find her, “how are we going to do this?”  
“...Well, I have about three bullets, one bloody knife, some rope and a thing of breath mints. What do you suggest?” She took each item out of her pockets and presented them, and he quickly batted the bullets out of her hand.  
“You won’t need those.” He said before pocketing the rope. “I can probably use this at some point. As for the knife, you keep it.” Patting his on-body arsenal he continued to unsheath a pistol to give to her, “I have plenty of guns for the both of us. Here’s one with a silencer.”  
Ophelia slid the knife into her back pocket carefully, letting it make a hole out of the fabric so that she wouldn’t get stabbed. She held the gun slightly awkwardly in her hands, having only used one twice or three times in her life.  
By the time she was done doing her self-inventory, Bucky had a look of seriousness and determination on his face that suggested he had a plan that he was ready to carry out. “Okay, we’re going to move through the vents until we get to the back entrance. From there I will drop down and take out any people in the immediate area. I’ll come back for you and from there we will hotwire one of the cars and meet up with the rest of the team as they will undoubtedly already be coming for backup. Got it?”  
“Uh, yeah. I think so.” She tried to recount the steps in her head a number of times just to make sure that she knew the plan through and through. Even if she did have a problem with the plan, she was too scared not to agree. “Yeah, I got it.”  
He took her hand. “Alright, let’s go.”  
“Oh please let this work out.” She whispered to herself before he pulled her along. The duo ran down a number of different (previously cleared) hallways before halting under the largest ventilation shaft that they’d come across. Bucky reached up and pulled the grate out of the ceiling before placing it on the ground.   
“Okay Ophelia, up you go,” Bucky said before taking her into his arms, hefting her up towards the ceiling. “Just- can you just grab the sides and, yeah, there you go.” Ophelia wiggled until the top half of her body was in the vent before using all of her upper body strength to pull herself up the rest of the way. She then backed up until she was behind the vent opening, making sure there was room for Bucky to go in front of her to lead the way.   
Bucky hauled himself up into the vent shortly after she was out of the way. “Okay, you ready for this?” He asked, attempting (and failing) to crane his head in her direction (what? The vents weren’t that big!).  
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” She wheezed, after accidentally inhaling a bit too much dust. Yikes, at least when she was hanging out with Clint in the tower’s vents.  
Bucky crawled in front of her, leading her down several different twists and turns. Ophelia resisted her urge to ask how much longer it would take, because while she was dirty and tired and done with being in the Hydra base, she knew that Bucky didn’t need her complaining. After all, he was saving her, and that was more than enough that she would have hoped for.  
Ten minutes of quietly moving through the vents later Bucky held a hand up, making her halt her movements. “What is it?”  
“It’s time to get back on the ground.” He said gruffly as he started to remove the vent grate.   
“Okay, so you said that I’m going to wait here?” Ophelia asked from behind him, picking the grime out from under her fingernails.  
“Yeah. I just want to make sure it’s as safe as possible before I take you down there.”  
“Understandable.” She replied, watching him lower himself out of the vent.   
“Now you wait there, all right?”  
“Yep!” She made a shooing motion with her hands, “Now run along.”  
Bucky gave her a tight-lipped smile and a small salte before running out of her line of sight, not making a sound.  
Ophelia passed the time thinking about her friends. How were they? Were they mad at Bucky for not being able to fend the Hydra agents off back at the tower? She hoped not- she had already concluded to herself that it wasn’t anyone’s fault.   
She thought about Darcy and Jane, wondering how they were doing on their search for Thor. Had the events of The Dark World happened yet? She had forgotten to ask.  
Her mind then wandered to Tony and Bruce and Pepper, hoping that they hadn’t worried about her too much. She would have hated to cause Bruce any extra stress, and Tony and Pepper already had enough on their plates without her going missing.  
She then thought about Clint and Natasha, her two surprisingly good friends. Ophelia was afraid to think that they might have taken her kidnapping hard, because they had some clue that people were after her. Natasha especially.   
Ophelia shook her head, forcing her mind out of that direction. She instead decided to think about Steve, and just how much she had missed him. Though she hadn’t been in Hydra’s clutches for that long, she had missed Steve’s casual touches and snuggles. Bucky’s too. All in all, she was so ready to go back home.  
“Ophelia?” She was startled out of her thoughts when a metal hand was thrust up into the vent opening. “You still there?”  
“Yeah, everything alright?”  
“We’re having a change of plans. The team just arrived- Steve is waiting outside to take you off-base.”  
“What about you? And the others?”  
Ophelia, still in the vent, couldn’t see how Bucky’s eyes darkened at her inquiry. “We have to take this place down.” He replied tersely. “Now let me give you a hand.”  
She took his metal hand in her own as she crawled over the vent’s opening, carefully perching on the edge of the metal rim. “And you’ll catch me if I fall?” She did not like the idea of falling on her butt, especially in front of him.  
Bucky let out a short, breathy laugh. “I’d never let you fall.”  
And then she was rushing through the air and into his arms. “Thanks,” She said, dropping to her feet, “so where’s Steve?”  
“He’s right out those doors. I’ll cover you while you get in the back.”  
She gave him a swift nod, “Okay. Safe enough.”  
Before leaving, though, she grabbed his hand. He looked down at their interlocked palms, a questioning look on his face. She just pulled him into a hug- god, did she miss that hug- and whispered a thank you in his ear. She quickly untangled herself from him, letting Bucky open the building’s front door for her so that she could start her sprint.   
Bucky was right- Steve was literally right there, not twenty yards from the entrance of the building. Ophelia’s pace was faster than she had ever run before, but it was still not as fast as she would have liked. She could hear bullets being fired behind her, but she dared not look. She just hoped that it was Bucky firing, and not people firing at Bucky. Or her, for that matter.  
“Get in the car! Get in the car!” Steve whispered loudly, aggressively hitting the unlock button for the back doors.  
Ophelia’s legs ached from their recent lack of use but she pushed forward, nearly slamming into the side of his sleek black car. Her fingers fumbled to grasp the handle, but after a frenzied moment they closed around the metal and she opened the door. She wasted no time hurdling herself into the back seat, smiling into the seat as she inhaled the familiar leather scent. It felt so good to be out of Hydra’s clutches.  
“Thanks Steve.”  
Steve spared a moment to look back at his friend, giving her his warm smile that she missed so dearly. “It’s good to have you back Ophelia.” He turned back and quickly put the car into drive, steering the car towards the compound’s exit.   
“It’s good to be back.” She responded, snuggling into the seats. Steve pressed his finger to the comm in his ear, listening as someone spoke to him. After the talking stopped, she asked, “How is everyone?”  
“They’re good- they missed you.” He replied, not taking his eyes away from the road. “And look, since we’re not out of the compound yet, you have to stay low in case anyone is looking at the car.”  
“Stay low?” She cocked her head for a moment, taking his words in. “Is that another fucking short joke, Rogers?”  
Since Steve was driving in the front seat, she couldn’t see his satisfied grin. “Like I said, it’s good to have you back Ophelia. Now let’s blow this popsicle stand!”  
She just mumbled incoherently into the leather cushions as a response. Steve continued to drive up to the gates, nodding at the guard looking at the car. Stupidly, the guard did not even bother to look in the backseat where Ophelia was hiding, letting them through without a second thought.  
Not even minutes later there was an explosion that destroyed the compound. At first Ophelia found it alarming that she didn’t care if there were any lives lost, but she concluded that her feelings were valid because, after all, they were Hydra and they kidnapped her.  
Ophelia sat up, rolling her shoulders and cracking her knuckles. The release was so pleasant that she let out a small groan. “Hey Steve? Can I open a window?”  
“Sure, of course.”  
She pressed on the down button and let the strands of her hair start to get swept away by the wind. She leaned her head up against the frame of the window, smiling as the air whipped at her face. There was only one thing that mattered to her at the moment- she was free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for me to post this- first I was away for a week in Vermont and then I was away for another week doing a service project in South Dakota. It's really sad down there, but I made some new friends so that's good.
> 
> I hope you are having a lovely day!!!!!


	20. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are realized.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been waiting for this for a long time. Here we go!

It was two days later, after things had started to calm down, when something monumental happened. After Ophelia had arrived back at the tower, and after she had been cleared from medical, she had gone on a search for Bucky. He hadn’t visited her room since her first day back, unlike all of the other avengers (and co.). She was missing him and she needed to talk to him. Needed to thank him.  
When she had been in the tower’s hospital wing, she had come to a couple of revelations. Number one: she deeply cared for Bucky. There was no way around this- he was a part of her life now. He had weaseled his way into her heart and she had little to no say about that. Not that she was complaining or anything, because come on, there were a lot of worse things in life than befriending someone as great as him.  
Number two: Bucky cared deeply for her. He cared enough that he would not only try to keep her safe, but he would also go to extreme lengths to ensure her safety. He didn’t have to go back to Hydra, especially as soon as he did, but he went back to save her. Surely this meant that he cared a great deal about her, right?  
Number three: she was calling in love with him. This was more of an afterthought than anything. Even though she had known Bucky for over four months, her feelings of nurturing and caring for him were recently starting to develop into something more.   
Now, Ophelia was never one that dwelled on certain feelings, especially when they were inconvenient for her. But, how could she not be blinded by this revelation? He was such a huge part of her life- how was she going to deal with this? Seeing him every day?  
Only, she didn’t see him every day. After he sat down in medical with her as the doctor went over her injuries he left, and she hadn’t seen him since. She was starting to worry that he was blaming himself, and that would simply not do. This was how she found herself standing outside his room after hours, the hallway lights barely lighting the space in front of her as she knocked on his door.  
She raised her fist to knock a third time when the door swung open, revealing Bucky. His shirtless form was slumped and he had purple rings under his eyes. “Hey Buck, how are you?”  
He went to close the door but Ophelia quickly shoved her foot between it and the doorframe. He stared at her for a moment before sighing, knowing that his friend was not going to relent on him. “What?”  
“I said how are you?”  
“I’m fine.” His grim face and poor posture hinted otherwise. She was having none of his shit after days of not seeing him. She pushed past him and into his apartment, taking a seat on his couch. She patted the space beside her, and he reluctantly sat down.  
Looking up at him to see his faraway eyes, she had already decided that he needed to talk to someone. Hopefully her. She sighed. “Bucky, this is an intervention.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“You heard me, mister supersoldier-hearing. An intervention.”  
He dryly chuckled. “For what?”  
“If you don’t get whatever it is off your chest, you’ll never be able to breathe!” Her shoulders were starting to shake, because once you got her going, oh, she wouldn’t be able to stop. Especially when she was trying to help someone. Especially if that person that she was trying to help was her friend. “I could literally play a violin ballad on you, you are so high strung.”  
“I can deal with it just fine.” He replied evenly. Clearly he saw no problem bottling up his feelings. She was having none of that.  
“It doesn’t matter how you think you are dealing. What matters is that you don’t have to deal with it. Not alone.”  
He scoffed. “I’m not going to burden you with my ‘feelings’, Ophelia.”  
She threw her hands up in the air. “You are not a burden, Buck! You never have been one and you are never going to be. You know what you are?”  
“What?”  
“A person. A goddamn human being. And you, like everyone else on this goddamned planet, are deserving of love.”  
“After all of the things that I’ve done?”  
Her eyes were starting to water. It had been a long couple of days and hearing the self-loathing in his voice just pushed her over the edge. “Jesus, Bucky! That wasn’t you! You need to understand this.”   
Looking back, she probably wouldn’t have grabbed his shoulders as roughly as she did, but she was just so blinded his words. “You were not yourself when you were under their control. You were not in charge of your actions- you were not told the truth. You were deceived, and it was wrong- more than wrong- but it is over now.”  
“I-” He started, ready to argue.  
“No, I’m not done,” She said, holding her hand up. “What was done to you was horrible and terrifying, and you didn’t deserve a single minute of it. I’m so sorry that it happened to you, and I’m sorry that you have to live with it every day. And I’m so sorry that you had to go back there to save me, because I know it must have been hard for you. It wasn’t fair to make you go back there and I’m sorry for that.” Tears started to fall down her face now, a hot wetness against her cheeks. She hastily wiped them away with the back of her hand, a frown forming on her face.  
Bucky turned towards her, taking her face in his hands. “Ophelia, I would have gone anywhere, done anything, just to have made sure that you were safe. I could have cared less if it was Hydra or SHIElD or any of them- all I cared about was the fact that you were probably scared someone, suffering alone.”  
“Really?”  
“Of course, doll. You mean the world to me.”  
“You really mean that?”  
“Really really.”  
Ophelia was silent for a moment before saying, “I really really regret showing you Shrek.”  
***  
Moonlight was streaming through the windows the next time they spoke. They were both curled up in a blanket sitting on Bucky’s bed, gazing at the beautiful city view. “Why are you so kind to me?” Bucky’s voice was hard and gruff, like he hadn’t used it in a long while. “After all that I’ve done- after all that I’ve done to you- how do you still find it in yourself to be kind?”  
“It’s surprisingly simpler than you think, Bucky.”  
A broken smile spread across his lips and he let out an ironic laugh. “Please, enlighten me.”  
“Everyone deserves kindness. Even you- especially you. Bucky, you are such a strong and good person; you have no idea how good you are.”  
His hands balled up into fists, gathering the ends of his hair into his grasp. It was so sad to see him like this, a depressed look on his face as his eyes glazed over as he thought about his past. He deserved so much more than this, and everyone knew it but him.  
“Only a good person what say that. Bad people accept the love they want to deserve, even when they don’t deserve it. Good people- broken people- will not. They are so afraid to accept the kindness that they deserve that they push others away. They believe that they aren’t good enough for help. They believe that they are not good enough to be saved.”  
“But you don’t understand how much hurt I’ve caused! How many people I’ve killed- how many families I’ve wrecked! I’ve wrecked everything I’ve touched!” Bucky’s eyes squeezed further shut if humanly possible. He was too afraid to look at Ophelia to see the unadulterated love looking back at him- she knew this. She knew that he didn’t want to hurt her- and that only proved her case. Slowly, carefully, she crawled closer to the hurting man until her knees were bumping his.  
“You don’t want to hurt me, right?”  
“Excuse me?”  
“I said, you don’t want to hurt me. Is that correct?”  
“I don’t get what this has to do with any-”  
“Am I correct?”  
“Of course you are Ophelia! Why would I ever want to hurt you!”  
“Exactly,” She smiled softly at him as he opened his eyes carefully to not meet hers. She placed her hand under his chin and made him look up to her face. “You don’t want to hurt me. Evil people just want to cause chaos and destruction- they want to hurt people just because they can. That isn’t you. It will never be you.”  
“But- but how could you say that? How could you say that so easily knowing how many people I’ve killed in cold blood?”  
“Oh, honey. That was never you- that was never my Bucky Barnes. My Bucky would never hurt good people, especially not intentionally. That was someone else entirely, someone under Hydra’s control- someone that isn’t you. Not anymore.”  
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re so kind to me.”  
“Everyone needs kindness, Buck. And I want to make sure you get yours.”  
“But why waste your time on me?”  
“There are so many reasons, so many reasons as to why I spend my time with you. Mostly, though, it’s because I think I like you, Buck.” She sighed, leaning her forehead onto his. “You don’t have to say you do to. Just… just knowing that you know is enough.”  
“Don’t worry Ophelia,” He said, taking her face in his hands, “I think I like you too.”  
The biggest smile she’d ever managed formed on Ophelia’s face, her entire being filling with joy. Yeah, that night was a good night.  
***  
“Do you want to know why I like you?” Bucky said, his smile brushing the top of her head.  
“Sure.”  
“You try your hardest to make everyone happy, even when you’re not. You will do anything for your friends, for me. You see the good in everybody… even when it’s not there. You refuse to see the dark side of any situation. You only focus on the bright side.”  
“Aw, Buck, I don’t-” He put his finger to her mouth, cool against her lips.  
“I’m not done,” He said. “You were there for me when I wasn’t even there for myself. You were there for me when I couldn’t even come to accept myself- like tonight. Thank you for that, really, thank you.”  
“Thank you for letting me in Buck!”  
“Oh, and one more thing. Most importantly, you are you. You never act like anybody else. You know who you are and you know your limits.” He chuckled, “even if you choose to ignore them, you do know your limits. And, I guess, being someone that isn’t sure who exactly they are, it is nice to be around. I don’t know why, it just is.”  
“Thank you Buck, really. You don’t know how much that means to me, that you like me for who I am. No one’s really liked me for who I am before.”  
“Whoever told you you weren’t perfect- all you have to do is say the word and I’ll crush them.”  
She chuckled dryly, the beginnings of a tear in her eye. “They’re too far away for even you to reach. Don’t worry about it.”  
***  
“God, I was so worried about you.” He said, drawing her in closer. “I was so afraid I that I was going to be too late.”  
“But you weren’t Buck. You got me in time.” Ophelia snuggled in closer to his side, finding comfort in his warmth. There, under his care and protecting, she was able to push back all the chilling memories from the past thirty-six hours. “I’m fine.”  
“Shouldn’t I be the one comforting you?” He chuckled dryly, looking down at her.  
She snuggled closer to him, inhaling his sweet scent. She smiled. “This is just comforting enough, the way we are right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gawsh, I love them sooooo much! Ophelia is really cute when she's passionate about something that she loves. Especially when it is Bucky. Lol. I hope you all are having a lovely day!


	21. The Truth Comes Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia has nightmares- we all know that. But does Bucky? What happens when he finds out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this is a bit shittily written. (Yes, I know that's not a word.) I was having some difficulties with this chapter, especially with how I was going to reveal her past. This chapter included a lot of talking, and I mean a lot, and I'm not used to that. Please bare with me as I get this sorted out. Remember- this is unbeta'd, so no one else has read this over. 
> 
>  
> 
> But on the bright side I made it fluffy and feels-inducing to make up for the shit writing.

It must have been around one am when Bucky woke up. He wasn’t surprised, because he usually had nightly nightmares and woke up around this time, but that was not the case this time. For once, Bucky had a peaceful sleep with nothing but good dreams- he suspected Ophelia was the cause- so he was a bit taken aback when he realized that he was not the one having nightmares.  
Ophelia was rolling back and forth on her side of the bed, her mouth opened with strangled sounds coming out. Her hands were fisting the covers, her legs tangled in the white sheets. Her brows were furrowed- and then she started to talk. At first she was mumbling incoherently, a mess of ‘no’s and ‘please don’t’s. And then her voice picked up, morphing into a more frantic tone. It was then when Bucky decided that he had to jump in. While he acknowledged that it was in some cases bad to wake up someone experiencing a night terror, he refused to see her suffer anymore.  
He firmly placed a hand on each of her shoulders before gently starting to shake her. “Ophelia,” He said, “Please, wake up. It’s just a dream.”  
Her thrashing was more violent now, her fists rising off the bed, reaching for something that wasn’t there. He wondered briefly was was causing her so much fear and pain, but decided to file those thoughts away for a later, less pressing time. He had her to worry about right now.  
“Ophelia, please wake up. It’s okay, it’s-” Her terrified eyes shot opened right after her balled up fist collided with his throat. Caught by surprise, he released her.  
“Oh my god- did I just punch you?” She gasped with horror, “Oh my god I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have fallen asleep here- I should have known that- I should have told you at the very least- I can’t believe-”  
After composing himself, Bucky covered her babbling mouth. She looked up at him pleadingly, not knowing that her actions were already forgiven. “Ophelia- it’s okay. It was an accident on your part. Plus, I willingly woke you up knowing that this might happen. After all, I have had more than enough experience with nightmares.”  
She took a moment to calm down before relaxing into the bed. “I’m sorry, I should have at the very least told you that I have nightmares.”  
“It’s okay, really. I understand.” He patted her shoulder before leaning in to give her a kiss on the forehead. “I was just worried about you.”  
“Understandable,” She replied.  
“Do you want to talk about it?”  
Sighing, she said, “It’s a bit of an agonisingly long story. Hard to follow and takes forever to explain.”  
He sat back, leaning his back on the headboard of the bed. “I’ve got time,” He said, “If you’re comfortable with talking about it, that is.”  
She scrunched up her face for a minute, weighing her options. She certainly trusted him enough- she always had- but was it worth it to drag him into this mess. When she came to her conclusion, she sat up, crossing her legs while letting out a sigh.  
‘Oh god,’ Ophelia thought to herself, ‘this is going to sound so extremely chiche.’ “Do you believe in fate, Bucky?”  
He frowned at you, thinking over his life. “I’m not sure if I do.”  
“You don’t have to respond to this, but please listen,” She paused, picking her words out carefully in her head. “I know you don’t know much about my past-”  
“Doll, we’ve gone over this. You don’t have to-”  
“Please, just let me finish,” Ophelia took a deep breath. “I need to get this out.”  
Bucky sat back, crossing his arms tensely. “Alright.”  
“Okay, so as I said, you don’t know much about my past- there’s a reason for that. There’s a reason why you all only know bits and pieces of who I was and who I am now, just like there’s a reason that only Fury knows it all. It’s because I know things I shouldn’t. Things that would get all of you hurt.”  
“Ophelia, I’ve already said, you don’t have to tell me until you’re ready.” He tried to grasp her hand, but she took it back and held herself tightly.  
“Please just, just let me get this out. I was never supposed to be here, and I never knew why this happened to me. But I think I know now. I think I know because you have shown me the light. You’ve taught me to make the best of my situation, and I’ve finally found peace with it. And I don’t mean to be egotistical, but I would like to think that I’ve helped you too.”  
“Of course you have, Ophelia. You’ve been helping me since the day you and Steve found me. I’ll always be grateful for that.”  
“But you don’t understand- I think I believe in fate because I know you would have been suffering if I hadn’t came along. You would have suffered for another two years before being found, and it crushes me to think about that.”  
“How could you possibly know that- no one knows the future. No one does.”  
“But I did- I do. I’ve been so afraid to tell anyone because I’ve been afraid of messing everything up, of messing up this universe, but I don’t want to lie to you anymore.”  
“I don’t understand-”  
“But you will. I’m think I’m finally going to be able to tell you. Just, please, whatever you take out of this, please don’t be mad at me. I don’t think I could take that right now.”  
“Why would I ever be mad at you?”  
“Because I know some really, really bad things. Things that I’m not sure I can change in time.”  
“Ophelia, I’m sure that we can make it through this together, whatever it is.” Bucky responded, softly tightening his grip on her. He knew she needed the human contact to make her feel safe. “If it will make you feel better, please tell me.”  
“Okay.” She took in a long, pensive breath. “I’m from another universe, much different than this one. One where you, Natasha, Steve, Hydra, SHIELD- all of you are, well, fake. You all are just comic book characters where I come from. Just stories. Hell, I had been reading about you and Steve since I was little, just like all the other kids in the world. I- we- lived in a world where superheroes and aliens were replaced with taxes and debt. It was almost depressing, my world, but children everywhere found solace in these tales of bravery, redemption, and friendship. We fell in love with our heroes- I fell in love with your character long before we met. I know this sounds absolutely insane, but it’s true.”  
Bucky was silent for a moment, his face blank. He opened his mouth and carefully spoke, “Okay, I trust you. Is that why you said you knew things that we didn’t- because you read these... comic books?”  
“Yeah,” Ophelia was slightly taken aback by how easily he was accepting her story. “Exactly. No offense, but shouldn’t you be disagreeing with me and telling me that I’m wrong?”   
“You’ve never intentionally hurt me before, so why would you start now?”  
“You really believe me?” Her voice was small and questioning- she couldn’t believe it was going to be this easy.  
“In a world of ‘superheroes and aliens’, I think I can believe that there are alternate universes out there. And if they really are, who’s to say that there isn’t a world where our lives are just stories?” His hand rubbed up and down her arm soothingly, calming her anxious state. “So, what was this about you being in love with me?”  
“Oh my god Bucky, was that really all you heard?”  
“It was the only thing that stood out to me.”  
“Come on, I was a little kid! I always had a soft spot for dorky, brooding men!”  
“I am not brooding!”  
“Oh, you most certainly are!”  
He frowned. “Only a little bit. At the most.”  
“Sure, mr. grumpy face. Whatever you say.”  
“Okay, enough of this. Go on?”  
She sighed and relaxed into his chest, warmth radiating off of his body to keep her cozily warm. “Okay, so as I was growing up, I always wished for a life of adventure. But every kid does that, right? I spent every birthday, every eyelash, every holiday wishing that I could have a more adventurous life. I guess you can spend your whole life wishing for something but still get backhanded by it, can’t you?” Ophelia let out a breathy chuckle. “I just wish that how I got my wish was a bit less traumatizing.”  
“What do you mean? Ophelia, what happened to you?”  
“The way I got here was… not the most friendly way in the world. It was quite traumatic- I still have nightmares about it sometimes.”  
“How did you get here?”  
“It was like any other normal day, you know? I was just finishing my summer break, taking my trip back to my university on a plane when everything went wrong. It all went by so fast Buck- I had friends on that plane. There were children on that plane. Children!” Hot tears were falling down her face now, her mind going back in time to the accident. Bucky held her tighter and whispered sweet nothings in her ear, hoping to calm her, but nothing was working.  
“They were with me- I had them! I had her! Poor Sarah, poor poor Sarah. She wasn’t even ten years old!” Her cries were now full out sobs, her body starting to thrash around in attempt to get herself out of Bucky’s grasp. “She shouldn’t have died for this! Because of me! What makes me so much more important than her!”   
“Ophelia, it’s okay. I’m here. You’re not alone, not anymore.”  
She sniffled as he pulled her closer. “You’re right- I’m not alone. I have you.”  
She took a few deep breaths, trying very hard to pull herself back together. Maybe, with Bucky holding her together in his arms, she could. “Okay, so where was I?”  
“You were on a plane going back to college when everything went wrong?”  
“Yeah, okay. So I was helping this little girl that sat next to me go to the bathroom, because her mother was in a different section of the plane. My, uh, friend Riley was just walking up, asking how I was doing when the plane started to shake. But planes always have turbulence, right?”  
“Sure they do,” Bucky assured, stroking her hair, “Most normal plane rides do at some point, if not all of them.”  
“Exactly!” She exclaimed before burrowing deeper into his chest. “Exactly. I didn’t think much of it because of that assertion. But then the pilot’s voice came on the speaker, panicked and out of character. That was when I knew something was wrong. He was saying to get in our seats- to strap ourselves tight- because the worst was yet to come. So I got Sarah back in her seat as quickly as possible. I nearly got run over by the snack cart in the process, but I managed to get myself and Riley out of the way in time. I never got to apologize to him for pushing him so roughly like that, oh god.”  
Ophelia was flooded by all the things she never got to say to Riley- to her mother, to her friends. How she never got to say ‘I love you’ one last time to her ever faithful mother. The mother that cared for her and loved her even in her darkest moments. Even when she was so preoccupied with her cancer treatments, Ophelia’s mother always had time for her daughter. The least she could have done was said goodbye.  
“Oh god, oh god, I never got to tell mom that I loved her.” She cried, “She must have thought that I died! I never even got to say goodbye, Buck!”  
Bucky just continued to hold her close, stroking her hair as she fell into pieces in his arms. Later Ophelia would realize that she was being insensitive- after all, Bucky had never gotten to say goodbye to his family either- but that was a thought for another time.  
“She knew that you loved her, Ophelia. I am certain that she always knew.”  
“But she’s already lost so much in her life! I must have been the cherry on top!”  
“From what you’ve told me about her, she was strong. She may miss you, but she should get through it. She would get through it for you, Ophelia.”  
“But she doesn’t deserve another loss! First my father leaving, then grandma’s death, then her cancer- she didn’t deserve any of it!”  
“Sometimes we don’t understand why things happen to us- they just happen.”  
“I was her only child. And she lost me.”  
“She’ll be okay, Ophelia, I really think that she will be.”  
Ophelia wasn’t listening, plowing through his would-be reassuring words. “I said that I would always be there for her. That I’d always come back to her.”  
“Ophelia-”  
“Goddamnit! At least if I’d died I’d be able to watch over her!”  
“That’s enough!” Bucky shouted over her words. “Don’t talk like that! Don’t talk like you’d be better off dead!”  
Ophelia sobered up, immediately realizing where she had gone wrong. She had crossed a line and she knew it. “Bucky, I’m-”  
He held his hand up. “Ophelia, I know what happened to you was wrong, and traumatizing, and scary, but like you said- it must have been fate. Because this happened to you, we found each other. Because without you, I’m not so sure I would have ever made it out alive. I owe you my life Ophelia, and I will not let you regret yours.”  
She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, already wet with her past tears. “You’re right. I’m sorry I’ve been talking this way-”  
“Don’t be sorry. It’s okay that you’re sad. Just know that you being here right now means the world to me. And I don’t regret you being here one bit.”  
Her eyes shined as she gave him a soft smile. “Thank you. If it means anything, it means the world to me that I’m here with you too.”  
“It does, doll, it means everything.”  
***  
After Ophelia’s tears dried, she continued to tell him the story of how she came to arrive in this universe. He hugged her close when she talked about surfacing the water and being alone, and cringed when she talked about him leaving Steve alone on the beach. His grip on her tightened when she said that Steve wasn’t breathing, only relaxing when she finally said that she got him breathing again.  
“It was so weird when I woke up in that hospital room that first day. It was like everything was slightly off. I only later learned how different everything had become. Seeing Steve was a huge, and I mean huge surprise, because why would Chris Evans be in my room?”  
“Who’s Chris Evans?”  
“Oh, you know how I said that there were comic books based off of your lives?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Well, they made movies too.”  
“Really?” He asked, astounded. “That’s, um, an interesting piece of information.”  
“Yeah, it must be so weird for you. I can’t imagine anyone reading about my life, or watching it for that matter.”  
“So they had an actor for me too then?”  
“Yeah, he looks exactly like you. Super hot and all that. I had a huge crush on him too.”  
Bucky smirked. “A huge crush, you say?”  
“Not as big as a crush as I had on you. What can I say? You’re perfect to me.”  
He just smiled, letting her continue telling him her tale of how she weaved her way into his universe. He nodded along as she explained how she met Fury, saying that she handled the situation quite well, considering everything that had happened. She told him about the first place SHIELD had gotten for her, the quaint yellow house that she had once adored. However, she tensed up when it came time to tell him about the first time Hydra came for her.  
“I mean, we should have known someone would come for me. SHIELD had just been revealed as infiltrated after all, so we really should have guessed that my file would have brought some attention. Though ordinary agents and most higher ups weren’t able to read it, the absence of information must have raised some flags for Hydra. So they decided to check me out and bring me in.”  
Bucky froze, his hand hovering over her hair, not taking another stroke. “They took you?”  
“No, they never got that far.” She was quick to put all of his ideas to rest, not wanting him to go through any extra stress. “They came for me, but I got away before they could take me.”  
“Please explain before I have the urge to kill something.”  
“It must have been the third night I was in the house. I was still adjusting to the fact that I was in your universe, not quite believing that it was true. I must have left a window open or something because the agent that they sent got in with no problem. God,” She took a minute to close her eyes and calm her rapidly beating heart. “He was just so terrifying.”  
Bucky nodded, looking at her with careful eyes. He noticed how she was curling into herself, fear taking over her body. “We can talk about this another time if you want. You don’t have to talk about anything that you don’t want to.”  
“No,” She said, looking him into his deep blue eyes, “I need to get this out. I’m sorry if this next part is going to make you mad, so just know that I came out alright. I am here now, and that’s all that matters. What happened then was in the past.”  
“Now you’re starting to scare me.” He shook his head after she gave him a pointed look. “Okay, I will try not to get too upset about it.”  
“Okay, so I woke up in the middle of the night and I hear something like slicing meat. I’m only half awake at that point so I’m like, who is cooking meat at one in the morning. Then I realize that that means that someone is in the house, with me, and I start to freak out- internally of course. So I sneak to take a peek of the kitchen and there was a man slicing fucking human meat with one of my good cooking knives. There were literally eyeballs on one plate- I almost puked. It was so gross because I knew who the meat was made out of. I knew them. They were my neighbors- they had introduced themselves earlier that day. They were a bit annoying, but they didn’t deserve to die!”  
“I think I know who you are talking about,” Bucky said, his face darkening as he thought about her attacker, “Was his name Philip Teague?”  
“I think so,” She replied, “everything is a bit fuzzy because I’ve been trying to block those memories out, but yes, I think so.”  
“Ophelia, I’m so sorry you had to face him.” His face was full of remorse and pain as he spoke, “I know exactly who he is. He’s more commonly known as the Petrifier- that was his codename- because of how he affected his victims. After I started to regain my memories after DC I started to take down as many Hydra bases as I could, but I had him in mind too. I didn’t want him loose, but I was so busy with running from Steve and looking for more information about my past that it slipped my mind. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that. It’s my fault.”  
That was when Ophelia promptly hit him over the head. “Don’t blame yourself- we will be having none of that manpain. There was no way that you could have known that it was going to happen. You didn’t even know me back then, for that matter.”  
“But-”  
“Nope, no blaming yourself this time. It wouldn’t even make sense.”  
He frowned and crossed his arms, but nodded. “Fine. Continue?”  
“Okay, so I’ll summarize it for you. He was his creepy ass self, he found my hiding place, introduced himself and had his monologue, then I caught him off guard and basically beat him up. I thought he wasn’t going to come back but he did, and I beat him up again. Once I knew he was down for sure I fainted, because it was a super exhausting fight.” She gave him a small smile, “So, to sum that up, I basically won in a fight with a top rated Hydra assassin.”  
His frown broke, revealing a soft smile on his features. He held his hand up, “Yes, yes you did. High five?”  
“Hell yeah!” She replied, enthusiastically high-fiving him with a grin on her face.  
He rustled her hair before pulling her in for a cuddle against the headboard. “So that’s what you were having a nightmare about?”  
She sighed against his skin, “Yeah, though the dreams rotate. Sometimes it’s my mom blaming me for her sorrows, sometimes it’s the people on the plane, and sometimes it’s that Phillip guy.”  
She nestled her head into the crook of his arm, closing her eyes. “I’m sorry Ophelia. I wish there was something that I could do.”  
She just shook her head at his words. “Being here is already more than enough than I could ever ask for.” Her voice was muffled, yet he could hear it, clear as day.  
“Ditto.”  
He felt her face slip into a smile against his arm. “Can you tell me a story so that I can fall back asleep?”  
Bucky smiled. “Sure,” He was quiet for a moment, raking his mind for a good story. His face broke into a grin when he found the perfect story to tell.  
“Some people say that you can feel it in your chest when you’ve met someone that’s meant to be in your life forever. I myself have felt that feeling only a couple of times, once when I met Steve, and once more recently. It was a couple months ago when it happened. I had been running from my problems for months on end- at least half a year- when I grew tired of running. I had decided to give in and see just who was chasing after me. I was well aware that I was being chased for a while, but it wasn’t until then that I was ready to face them. After all, one of the men chasing me was familiar- too familiar. I would learn later that it was because he was one of those special people- one of those people I spoke about that would stay in your life forever.”  
Ophelia snuggled further under the covers, bringing him down with her. She settled her head on his chest as she yawned. “I think I have a feeling where this is going.”  
He just shushed her. “Let me tell the story,” He said, his smile not visible in the darkened bedroom, “So as I was saying, the man was familiar. I knew somewhere deep in my heart that he was my friend, and I decided to take a leap of faith and trust that instinct. That led me to a warehouse in southern New York. I was expecting him to be alone, but instead he came with two others. I had seen one of them before- a man I would later know as Sam Wilson- but the other person I had never seen. And boy, that stranger was she a beauty. She took my breath away- my chest tightened, my heart started to beat faster, and my palms started to grow sweaty. It was like I was a girl-crazy kid in Brooklyn all over again.”  
He stopped for a moment, glancing down at Ophelia’s smiling face. Her breathing was slowing down, and he knew that she would be falling asleep any minute. “I didn’t show any of this, of course, but my mind was racing. I wasn’t myself at that point, so I just glared at her and only talked when she talked to me. Her voice was like the most beautiful music to my ears, like a symphony in the most beautiful song in existence. Her smile was like the sun- it brightened my day. And though I didn’t know it for sure back then, I had a strong feeling that whether I liked it or not, she would become a part of my life. All the things that came after- us growing closer, relying on one another- well, that was a surprise.”  
Bucky looked down, cocking his head as he took in her sleeping form. Deciding to finish his story, he ended it with, “Everything after that- including falling in love with her- was, well, one of the best things to ever happen to me. Still is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? PLEASE give me feedback- I am very curious to see how you guys are reacting to this.  
> More shit is going to come up in the next chapter so be prepared.  
> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	22. Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter we've all been waiting for- everyone finds out about Ophelia's secret! Shit's about to go down!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this went alright. Please leave feedback!

It really shouldn’t have happened the way it did. 

The whole team (and Ophelia, Pepper, Jane, and Darcy, of course) was relaxing on the couch for a movie night that Ophelia planned, even including Thor. Thor was finally back on the planet, having just arrived the night before. Jane and Darcy were ecstatic, to say the least. Though she had yet to meet the demigod, Ophelia was excited to spend time with him. He was, after all, a demigod, and who wouldn’t want to spend time with the jolly man?  
Ophelia surveyed the room quickly, looking over all of her friends. Tony and Pepper were snuggling in one of the bigger plush chairs, and the same went for Jane and Thor. Darcy, Bruce, Clint and Natasha were sitting on the couch adjacent to the lightning god’s setup while Steve, Bucky and Sam were sitting on the last open couch. It warmed her heart that there was a spot saved between Steve and Bucky especially for her.  
They were all placing their votes in for which movie they should watch as she held up the two options in her hands: 2012 and Wall-E. There had originally been a lot more spy movies in their eclectic mix of choices, but the team refused to watch them with Natasha and Bucky in the room. (The last time they watched a spy movie with them in the room resulted in them giving away the ending within the first five minutes, resulting with the team grumbling and Bucky and Natasha to share a victorious high five.)  
While half of the team had already seen the Disney classic, Steve, Bucky, Natasha and Bruce had not. Ophelia looked over to Steve, tilting her head at him, his brows furrowed with thought.  
“Whatcha thinkin’ about Stevie?”  
“What was Wall-E about again?”  
“A cute little robot trying to find love. It’s really cute!”  
A smirk crossed Tony’s face at her choice of words. “Seems a bit like Bucky to me.” Bucky didn’t respond, but he did shift in his seat a bit. Something between a smirk and a frown flickered on his lips for a minute. Clearly he wasn’t sure if he wanted to share his most recent development with Ophelia, so she was quick to give him questioning eyes.  
Immediately noticing Bucky’s discomfort, Ophelia put both of the cds in one hand and grabbed a pillow with the other before promptly hurtling it at Tony’s smug face. “Don’t be fucking rude!”  
“Yeah Tony- don’t be rude!” Clint taunted from his spot next to Natasha on the loveseat. His partner just raised one perfectly trimmed eyebrow at them.  
“Calm your feathers Barton, it was just a joke.”   
“Feathers? What do you mean by this?” Thor questioned.  
“You do know that hawkeyes are birds, right?” Tony replied to his confused friend.  
“They’re also the state bird of Iowa, right?” Ophelia put in, curious to see if Clint- the supposed Iowa native- would take her bait. He did.  
“Actually, it’s the American Goldfinch.”  
Both Ophelia and Natasha rolled their eyes at his interjection, catching eyes with each other as they did so. Natasha’s look was questioning, as if to ask how she knew that Clint was really from Iowa. She just gave the assassin a small smile and a shrug before inserting the disk into the CD player.  
The movie passed quicker than Ophelia remembered, but not without its notable moments. While Steve and Bucky just seemed to be entranced with how far animation has come, Clint mouthed the words as they were said. Bruce seemed fairly into the movie, making sure to never look away from the screen- even when he went to get more popcorn from the kitchen.  
After seeing the way that Wall-E had to be revived the way that he was in the movie, Ophelia started thinking about Tony’s arc reactor. Surely he must have been getting it removed soon, right? She tried to think back in her memory to the third Iron Man movie, but she couldn’t put a finger on when he actually got the surgery to take it out. She didn’t think asking about it would raise any flags, so she asked.   
“Anyways, Tony, you’re getting your surgery soon right?”  
Tony’s eyes immediately narrowed at her, his suspicion growing. He had only talked about this with Pepper and Happy, and JARVIS- but that didn’t count. “How did you know about that?”  
Ophelia suddenly did not want to be in the room with all these people. Though they all were her friends, she could not take the heat of all the eyes staring at her. She quickly tried to brush it off. “Oh, I must have heard you talking about it at some point.”  
“What surgery?” Steve’s eyes glinted with concern for his teammate’s well being as he moved to rest his hands on his knees.  
Tony put his hand up to Steve, signaling for him to wait. “No, I haven’t mentioned it to any of you. How do you know about that?”  
This was when Ophelia’s down spiral started. “Uh, well, after everything that happened earlier this year I guessed that you would want to get it finally removed?”  
“You sound like you’re guessing.”  
She cursed all those times that she turned her friends down when they wanted her to join their high school plays to learn how to act- she was not very good at it. Especially under the gazes of some of the most intimidating people in this universe. “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you the real reason as to how I know.”  
“That’s not good enough.” Tony stood up from his seat on the couch, never taking his eyes off of Ophelia. “I’ve asked you about yourself before and you’ve told me little to nothing. I just can’t trust that anymore. JARVIS, can you do a scan of Ophelia’s SHIELD file for me?”  
After a tense moment of silence, the AI replied. “Sir, it seems as though her files are not accessible to your clearance level.”  
“Then override it.”  
“Tony, please, don’t do this.” She pleaded, though she knew he wouldn’t drop it. He wouldn’t ignore a problem like this- she was sure that he was only trying to make sure that she wasn’t a SHIELD or Hydra plant. Except she wasn’t. How was she supposed to tell him that without giving all of her secrets away?  
“Tony, are you sure you should be doing this?” This time it was Bruce’s soft voice who broke the silence.   
“Oh, I’m doing this alright.” He said, throwing a glance over at his science bro. “How are we to know that she isn’t some sort of double agent or something? She clearly isn’t a civilian like I’ve been told.”  
At this time both Steve, Sam, and Bucky were starting to look uncomfortable, all of them knowing that Steve was assigned to keep her safe. To them she was definitely more than a simple civilian. And, low and behold, it seemed as though she wasn’t the only one to notice their discomfort.  
“Cap? Have anything you want to share with the class?” She knew that if push came to shove, Steve wouldn’t lie to Tony. Hell, she knew Steve was all about trust after all of the shit that went down with Fury and SHIELD and Hydra during the Winter Soldier movie.  
Most importantly, Ophelia treasured her friendship with the blonde super soldier. She didn’t want to wreck his relationship with Tony or their own because of her secret. It scared her half to death, but the idea of telling the team was suddenly looking like the best option.  
“He was assigned to look after me, back when we were in DC.” She ignored Clint’s muffled giggle at her rhyming words before continuing. “I needed someone to protect me, and Fury deemed that Steve was the best option at the time.”  
“So now Fury is in on this too?” Ophelia was sure everyone in the room (except Natasha) cringed at the anger in Tony’s voice.  
“In her defense,” Steve began.  
“No, you’re in the doghouse for lying to me.” Tony pointed at him, making sure that his point was getting across. “Until Jarvis gets those files, I want to hear this from her.”  
“Okay, Tony, take your anger out on me. Steve was just doing his job by not telling you about this. It isn’t his fault.”  
Tony turned back towards her, as did the rest of the criticizing gazes of the others. “Okay, then out with it.”  
Her chest started to tighten, her mouth suddenly dry and without oxygen. “Just,” She wheezed, panic spreading throughout her body. This was not how she wanted it to go. This was not how she had imagined it would go, telling them. “Just give me a sec, alright? I promise I’ll tell you guys everything, just, it’s… it’s getting a bit hard to breathe over here.”  
Bruce, never the one to walk intentionally in the middle of the fire, made his way over to Ophelia’s place on the floor. He knew he couldn’t do much, but he knew just how bad anxiety could be and he didn’t think she’d want to be alone right now. He noted the small nod that Bucky sent his way, sending a small nod back. Darcy and Jane soon joined them on the floor, looking to give support to their friend. Ophelia had never treasured their friendship more than in that moment.  
After her breathing calmed, Ophelia leaned into Bruce’s form, feeling a sense of calmness run over her because of the man’s soothing nature. “You know, I’ve never been anything special.” She started, “I grew up with a single mom in a normal neighborhood. We had the white picket fence, the annoying neighbors, a green backyard- the whole nine yards. I was studying to be a hospice nurse, you know? I was working my way through med school the best I could, and it was when I was coming back from spring break when it happened. I was on a midnight flight back to Boston when it went down, crashing into the water below. I get out of the plane, swim to the surface, and it’s midday. Everything is out of place, I realize, when I make it to shore. We weren’t even supposed to fly over DC and there I was, looking at the national mall in the distance. And right next to me is a dying man alone on the beach. Who looked oddly like a certain childhood superhero of mine. So I save him, pass out, and wake up in a hospital room. They have no records of me in the system, which was odd, especially since I frequented my local hospital when I was little. No records. At all. In any system. I asked for my mom and they said she didn’t exist. I called her cell and it was out of service. Suddenly everything I grew up with didn’t exist. Everything was,” A few quiet tears gathered in her eyes, and she took a moment to wipe them away. “Everything was gone. And then fucking Captain America walks through my hospital room door to thank me for saving his life and I knew I was dreaming. I’d read the comics, I’d seen the movies, hell, I’d even met Chris Evans once at a comicon. I knew it wasn’t real.”  
“Who is Chris Evans?”  
“Exactly. Because, you see, where I come from, you all are fake. Imaginary. Not real.” She closed her eyes, not able to will herself to look at the people before her. She couldn’t take it. Yet she continued. “Where I come from you all are comicbook characters from a company known as Marvel, and these comics were made into movies. First were the Iron Man movies, one and two. Then the first Thor movie. Then the first Captain America movie. The Avengers movie came after that. You all were in that one. Well, except for a few of you, Jane, Darcy, Sam and Buck.”   
Finally, she opened her eyes. Some of the people in the room (Natasha, Bruce, Tony) were looking at her with analytic expressions, while the rest seemed to be either confused (Clint, Steve, Sam) or concerned (Bucky). Bruce seemed to be the first to believe her story, looking down at her with a small, reassuring smile. Jane and Darcy seemed to understand her, because they too had seen some pretty incredibly impossible things in their time.   
“So that’s how I knew about the surgery, Tony. Iron Man 3 concluded with that.”  
After a few minutes of silence, Tony was the first one to speak. “Are you telling me I had three movies made about me?” Ophelia was sure that the group’s collective groan could have been heard in all of New York.  
“That’s the first thing you ask? Seriously?”  
“That’s not an answer to my question.”  
“Yes, Tony, you had three movies.”  
“Did I have any?” Clint seemed eager. She hated that she would have to be the one to break it to him.  
“Sorry Clint. You were only in one of the Thor movies and two of the Avengers movies. Before I, erm, came here, some people were petitioning for you to have a tv show though.”  
“You’re saying that Thor had a movie but now me?”  
“Actually, he was going to have a third soon after I left. Speaking of, Thor, I have to talk to you later.”  
“Are you kidding me?”  
“Sorry Clint. I’d totally watch a movie about you though.”  
“You said I had one?”  
“Yeah, Steve, you were going to have a third one right before I came here.”  
“What were they about?”  
“The first was about your time in the forties, then there was the Winter Soldier movie, which you can figure out, and then I don’t think I need to mention the third one because reasons.”  
“What was his third movie about?” Tony asked, sitting back down. All of the people in the room had their listening faces on, and Ophelia sighed knowing that she wasn’t going to get out of this.  
“It was about Steve finding Bucky.” Everyone’s heads turned to look at the pair. “That’s how I knew some of the leads that you had, Steve, I just didn’t know which one be the right one to follow. Plus, that movie took two years after the second Captain America movie, which meant that it would have otherwise taken you two years to find Bucky.”  
“Thank you, then. You didn’t have to help me find him, but you did anyway.” Steve got up from his seat between Sam and Bucky to give Ophelia one of his infamous bear hugs, engulfing her in his arms. “Really,” He whispered in her ear, “thank you.”  
“Anytime Steve.”  
He let go of her and made his way back to his seat before sitting down. “Is there anything else you guys want to know?”  
“Assuming that the first Avengers movie was about Loki and the Chitauri, can you tell us what the second movie was about?”  
She stopped for a second to consider Natasha’s question, mulling it over in her head. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can tell you. I’ve already messed up the space-time continuum too much. I’m afraid if I say anything more than this then the future will change.”  
Jane responded with a pensive, “That seems fair.”  
Clint replied at the same time asking, “Wouldn’t that be a good thing though?”  
“I don’t know what will happen if you play with time like that, Clint. I’m sorry.”  
“It’s okay.” He said, looking down with a small frown. “But I do have one more question.”  
“Go ahead.”  
“How do you think you got here?”  
“I honestly have no idea as to how or why I was sent here.” She sighed, looking down. “Sometimes I think I was sent here to look after you all, to help Steve find Bucky, to help you guys get through your troubles, etc. But to be quite truthful? I have no fucking idea.”  
Jane reached out and patted her on the shoulder while Darcy pulled Ophelia in for a hug. “It’s okay Ophelia, we’ll be helping you through this no matter what.”  
“Really?” Ophelia’s smile at Jane was so incredibly hopeful.  
“Really really.” Darcy said, answering for her boss-turned-friend.   
“I need to stop making you guys watch Shrek movies.” Tony exclaimed from across the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter before the second interlude. Just so you know, the story has a lot of higher forces playing behind the curtain, and in each interlude we get a bit more of a glimpse of what is going on. I can't wait to reveal the next bit.  
> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	23. Interlude 2: Revealing Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We take a break from Ophelia's story to see what fate has been doing. Or, rather, who she has been doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a brief break from the story. Remember, in this story an interlude happens every ten chapters.

Fate was squinting her eyes, leaning close to the tv screen in front of her. They were catching on to her, even if they didn’t quite know it yet. That girl, Ophelia, was going to be trouble.  
Footsteps behind her pulled her out of her trance, her ears perking curiously as they visiter came closer. Not many beings knew of her home in the universe- she could count all of them on one hand. Judging by the light footfalls of the guest, she concluded their identity. Only one man was as slim, lithe, and silent as the guest.  
“Fate, I see you have been up to no good lately,” The man said, stepping out of the shadows. He halted when he was standing behind her chair, not bothering to take the seat beside her. He was here for business, nothing else.  
“Oh, Loki, how are you sweetie?”  
“I am good, my fair lady, but it has come to my attention that you have been… meddling in places you should not be.”  
“I have done nothing wrong here, Loki.” Fate said, tilting her head back to look at the man above her.  
“Yes, you have.” He replied, his voice sharp and cold. “While I am all for tricks and mayhem, there is a line not to be crossed. Messing with alternate realities is not to be done.”  
“Oh, Loki,” She smiled, her cherry red lips curling upwards, “Are you finally conforming to the rules?”  
“You know I’m not.” He seethed, a feeling of resentment creeping into his bones. While he had gotten along with this woman for many centuries, she was coming more reckless and sentimental as time went by. He would not have such an essential ally to fall because of their sentiment.  
“Dear, I am the queen of what happens and what does not- I think I can decide as to whether or not I can make changes to the realities.”  
“It isn’t a matter of whether or not you can meddle- it’s whether or not you should. The more you spend time watching over these humans and spending time where you shouldn’t be, the more reckless you become.”  
“I am not reckless, Loki.” She hissed, fully turning herself towards him. Her amber eyes narrowed at the man, sending an ungodly glare his way. “How dare you accuse me of acting as such!”  
He stepped back after feeling the anger radiating off of her body. He knew that she was more than a worthy opponent and it would not be in his best judgment to fight with her. “Fate, please,” He pleaded, trying to appeal to her generosity, “I am only saying this because I care about you. I do not want to see you falling at your own hands.”  
Standing up, she let the anger and disappointment drain from her body. After assuring herself that he was not lying, and that his words were true, she walked over to him. “I appreciate your concern, Loki, I really do. But I am not one to be easily broken.” She let her fingers trail up and down his leather suit, fingernails scratching lightly on the material.  
Loki was quick to place a large hand on her lower back, gently caressing the revealed skin with his thumb. It was times like this that he enjoyed her rather revealing dresses- not only did they make her look celestially powerful, but they also gave him more access to her body. “I know that, my dear.”  
“Shall we see just how unbreakable I am elsewhere?” She asked, stepping back while taking hold of his other hand. He merely gulped and nodded, letting her lead the way up the stairs and to her bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this part sort of sucked- I'm not even afraid to admit it. I had a very hard time writing it, so I put it off and worked on future chapters instead. Hopefully that means that more chapters will be put up quicker.   
> I hope you all are having a lovely day!


	24. Passing Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ophelia has some important conversations with her friends. Oh, and Hogwarts houses are discussed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is yet another filler chapter, with some important tidbits of course!

“Hey Hamlet?”  
Ophelia sighed, turning her head to meet Tony’s gaze. “Yes Tony?”  
“I actually am getting the operation soon.”  
She sat up, straightening her back against the couch she was lounging on. “Oh, really? How are you? How have you been feeling?”  
“Calm down, I’m alright. You don’t need to do all of that.”  
“Do what?” Ophelia asked as she sat back into the couch.   
Tony just waved his hand in her general direction. “That,” He replied, “thing that you do. You are always so quick to worry about me and the others. Especially after missions and stuff. It’s weird.”  
“Showing concern for friends is weird?”  
Tony’s full attention went to her when he heard her say that they were friends. Were they? It had been nearly three months since Steve and his friends moved into the tower, and a few days since Ophelia revealed her past. Certainly, after all that time, there was something between the two. She had shown many different types of kindness in her time in the tower, from making food for Tony to listening to his rants about the government.  
“We are friends, aren’t we?” She asked after she noticed the faraway look in his eyes. She knew he needed to be brought out from the depths of his head, and she was glad to be the one to do it.  
Tony smiled. “Yeah kid, yeah we are.”  
“Good,” She said, smiling as well, “So then I can ask if you are worried about the surgery. Are you?”  
He sighed, throwing his head back to collide with the back of the couch. “I don’t know. I should be. It’s just, that is nothing compared to some of the other problems I have.”  
“You mean,” She said, looking around to make sure that the room was clear. After deeming the room safe to talk in, she continued, “the nightmares?”  
Tony’s eyes narrowed at her for a moment before resigning the act, instead raising his eyebrows. “How do you know about the nightmares?”  
“Tony- I’ve seen all of your movies. I probably know more about you than I should.”  
Tony groaned. “I don’t even want to know what you know. That’s almost as scary as my nightmares.”  
“Sorry about that,” Ophelia sighed, “it seems like I’ve invaded all of your guys’s private lives, but I just can’t help it.”  
“It’s okay Hamlet, you didn’t mean to.”  
“Thanks Tony.”  
“No problem.”  
It was silent for a moment before Ophelia piped up again. “I would like to address something, but I’m not sure if you’re the type that wants to be eased into this sort of thing.”  
“Out with it. You should know that I don’t like things sugarcoated.”  
“Tony- you have PTSD. I think you should see someone about it.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“I went to med school Tony, I know the signs when I see them. I don’t like the fact that everyone is ignoring your problem, especially since you’re their friend. But, no matter what they do, I’m not going to ignore it. I care about you and I want to see you get better.” And not create Ultron, but that’s a story for another day.  
“You really don’t pull your punches, do you Hamlet?”  
“You said that you wanted me to- hey! I know what you’re doing. I’m not changing the subject Tony.”  
He looked up at her, and she melted a bit as she looked into his hurt puppydog eyes. “Eh, I tried.” He stated with a shrug. “Look, I know I have PTSD. I’m not sure what you know, but you should know that I’m handling it.” With that he got up and strode out of the room, leaving her alone.  
“Well damn.” She stared at the wall for a moment before deciding that she wasn’t done with the conversation. She jumped up from her seat and started down the hall that she saw Tony go through, frustration coursing through her veins when he was nowhere in sight.  
Ophelia tried walking down a couple different hallways before she found herself completely and utterly lost. She was just about to ask for Jarvis when she spotted Thor at the other end of the hallway.  
“Hey, Thor?”  
“Yes my lady Ophelia?” Thor boomed as he walked towards her.  
“Have you seen Tony?”  
“I am sorry to say that I haven’t. Why, is something the matter?”  
Ophelia just sighed, running a hand through her brown locks. “It’s fine. I was just trying to talk to him and he bolted.”  
“Oh, I am sorry.”  
“It’s okay big guy. While I have you, can I talk to you about something?”  
“Of course! What is it?”  
“I have something to tell you, but, um, I’m not sure if it’s safe for me to, you know, tell you.” She was stumbling over her words, suddenly very aware that a certain someone from the stars (Loki) could be watching her. Yes, she had liked Loki’s character once and read a good amount of fanfictions about him, but that was before she was in the same universe as him. She didn’t know how Loki really was, only how Marvel and fanfictions decided to portray him. He could be a lot better or a lot worse than she thought. She hoped it wasn’t the latter.  
Thor cocked his head at her, curious to see what was bothering her. “Is this related to what you were talking about yesterday, when you revealed your origin?”  
“Yes, yes it does. In fact, it has something to do with,” She looked up and down the hallway before deciding that they were not in the right place to talk about such secret information. “Can we take this somewhere else? Like Jane’s lab or something?”  
He patted her gently on the shoulder while replying, “Whatever makes you most comfortable lady Ophelia.”  
Her smile was small but there nonetheless. She liked his chivalry; it made her feel nice and respected, boosting her confidence ever so slightly. “Okay, let’s go to Jane’s lab then.”  
The duo walked in silence for a number of minutes until they got in the elevator- that was when Thor started to speak. “Forgive me if I am out of line, but I would just like to say that you and mister Barnes make a fine couple.”  
Ophelia, ridden with surprise, started choking on her own spit when the words left his mouth. It took her a few seconds to regain her composure, gasping for air in her shocked state. “Um, not to be rude or anything, but how do you know?”  
Thor just chuckled. “I am not just the god of thunder, you know.”  
“Yeah, you’re also the god of… oh my.”  
“So you know, do you not?”  
Ophelia let out a nervous laugh, “Yeah, you’re also the god of fertility.”  
“That I am. That means that I can sense certain romantic and sexual relations between people. I assumed that the relationship has already started by the way that you two look at each other.” The elevator door opened up to reveal one of the R&D levels, and they started to walk towards Jane’s lab.  
“Oh,” Ophelia said, her voice small. “Well, we just talked about our feelings for one another a few nights ago, so it’s a fairly new development.”  
He patted her back, nearly pushing her over with his sheer- and accidental- force. “Congratulations! I shall see to congratulate James as well.”  
“Uh, okay.” She shrugged, knowing that there was no real way around it. When Thor made up his mind, she knew it was very hard to change it. “Thanks Thor.”  
“Is is no problem, lady Ophelia.” With that, they walked through the automatic doors and into Jane’s lab. After both of them waved to Jane and Darcy, Ophelia took Thor’s hand and led him to one of the desks.   
“I think you should sit down for this, Thor.”  
Concern was now etched on his face, but he did not say a word. He just quietly took a chair and sat down across from her. “Tell me,” He said gently, “what is troubling you?”  
“Can Heimdall hear me right now?”  
Thor looked taken aback for a moment before nodding. “Yes, I believe that father has been having him watch over this realm since the incident with the Dark Elves. Why do you ask?”  
“It’s just, um, I don’t know how to say this gently so I’m just going to tell you, alright?”  
“Alright.”  
“Thor, your brother isn’t dead.” Ophelia was expecting him to deny it, for him to call her a liar, but nothing of that sort happened. He looked her over for a minute, trying to see if she was lying.   
“You are sure of this?”  
“Yes, I am. At the end of your most recent movie he was shown posing as Odin. I do not know where your father is, but your brother is pretending to be him.”  
Thor’s eyes narrowed. “He was supposed to be dead.”  
“Yes, I know, but-”  
“He lied to me!”  
“Yes, but you have to remember-”  
“I have to see him, right now.”  
He went to stand up, but Ophelia used all her strength to push him back into his seat. “Thor, just wait.”  
He just stared at her, his silence allowing her to continue.  
“Look, I know he has done some very bad things, but he has been through a lot. He has been lied to his entire life, he has been manipulated by Thanos, and he was not allowed to say goodbye to his mother after she died.” Thor’s eyes softened as she mentioned Frigga. “I just want you to know that he may not be the best role model, but he is not a bad person. After all, he ‘died’ helping you. Saving you. I’m not saying that he is good, but he is certainly not bad. And more importantly, somewhere deep down, he loves you.”  
The only word to describe Thor after Ophelia finished speaking was astonished. He was so surprised that a human was going out of their way to defend his brother, after all of the things that he did to mankind. He shot up from his chair and pulled her into a fierce hug. “Thank you for your kind words, lady Ophelia. He has done nothing to deserve your kindness yet you give it to him anyway. For that I will be eternally grateful.”  
Slightly choked, Ophelia patted his back while managing to squeeze out a ‘no problem’. He let her go and smiled down at her. “You are a strong woman, Ophelia Martin. Strong and kind indeed.”  
He left the lab not long after that, after giving Jane a kiss and Darcy a hug, of course.  
“Okay, spill. What was that all about?” Darcy and Jane had halted their experimenting to check on Ophelia, still sitting at the empty desk.  
Ophelia looked up at the two women. “You guys remember how Loki died?”  
Jane cringed, obviously reliving the memory, while Darcy’s expression became sad. “Yeah?”  
“Well, he kind of didn’t?”  
Ophelia was pretty sure that Darcy and Jane’s gasps could be heard all across the tower.  
***  
Thor departed from earth that night, beginning his search across the cosmos for his brother.  
***  
Ophelia walked into the common room that night tired and drained. She had spent most of her day talking with Thor, Darcy, and Jane about Loki and what he had been up to, though she didn’t have much information to give. The three listened to her diligently, nodding with understanding every step of the way.  
Not to mention the fact that she had had a heart-to-heart with Tony earlier that day. While she loved helping people sort their problems out, sometimes it could get tiring. She flopped down on the couch that Bucky was sitting on, resting her head in his lap.  
“Hey Ophelia, I haven’t seen much of you today. Rough day?” Bucky asked as he started to stroke her hair, a habit that she adored.  
Ophelia sighed. “Offworld drama. I informed Thor about some things he should have known about and he zoomed off the planet pretty quickly after that.”  
“What’s going on up there? Thor rarely talks about interstellar troubles.” Clint asked from his space next to Natasha.  
Ophelia wrinkled her face, thinking over whether or not she should tell them. In the end she concluded that she would- she wanted to gain their trust. “Loki isn’t dead.”  
Various gasps and grunts erupted around the room- she could guess that some people less than pleased with this recent discovery. “Are you sure?” Tony asked.  
She nodded. “At the end of the most recent Thor movie Loki was revealed to be posing as Odin. As soon as I could get a moment alone with Thor I told him.”  
“Well, we deserved to know too.” Clint said, his face pulled into a frown.  
“That’s why I’m telling you guys now. I just wanted to give him a head start- that’s all.”  
“Why would we be giving Thor a head start?”  
“Well,” Ophelia internally cringed for what she was about to say, “I was afraid that one of you would want to tag along due to some of your personal vendettas. Thor deserves to confront his brother first, before anyone else.”  
“I respect that.” Natasha said. “I may not think Loki deserves it, but Thor does. We owe him as much.”  
Ophelia gave the redhead a soft smile. “Thanks Nat.”  
Tony clapped his hands, apparently done with the conversation. “Well, I’ve had enough talk of the teen angst demigod for tonight, so how about we talk about something different.”  
Ophelia nodded, knowing that some people- Tony included- were still a bit uncomfortable with talking about Loki. “Yeah, that’s fine.”  
Jane rested her head on Darcy’s shoulder. “What do you suggest we talk about then?”  
Tony thought for a moment. “Hamlet,” He said, “It seems as though you know everything about us, but we know little about you.”  
Ophelia shifted in her seat while biting her lip. “And?”  
“Shouldn’t we change that?”  
Bucky slung an arm around her shoulder, silently giving her his support.   
“I mean, what do you guys want to know?”  
“What’s your favorite color?” Clint asked.  
She thought of Bucky’s eyes. “Blue. How about you Tony?”  
“Yeah, we should all share something about ourselves instead of solely Ophelia answering. It would be more fair.” Darcy added as Tony replied with ‘red’.  
“Mine’s gold.” Jane said.  
“Purple.” Bruce added in.  
“Same,” Clint replied, “Tasha?”  
“Red.”  
“Yellow.” Said Darcy.  
Steve was next. “Blue.”  
“Brown.” Bucky didn’t miss a beat after Steve spoke, Ophelia’s eyes in his mind.  
“Brown? Brown is such a yucky color!” Tony exclaimed.  
Bucky just shrugged. “It’s a warm color. Earthly. Like home.” He smiled down at Ophelia, who was already beaming up at him. (She did have brown eyes, after all.)  
Some of the people in the room noticed this sign of affection, automatically fanning over the couple in their heads. Others were more nonchalant, like Tony. “Okay, next question: favorite animal?”  
“Deer.” Ophelia smiled, thinking back to her childhood when there was a herd of deer living in her yard.  
“Red panda.” Clint said.  
“Honeybadger.” Tony said.  
“Me too Tony,” Darcy replied, “They give zero shits.”  
“I like rabbits.” Jane piped in.  
“So do I.” Bruce replied.  
“Panthers are pretty cool.” Natasha said.  
“Wolves.” Bucky said, which got Ophelia planning a trip to the zoo. She knew they had a good wolf exhibit that he had yet to see.  
“Dogs are cute,” Steve added in with a soft smile.  
“Lame!” Tony yelled at him, “Think more exotic!”  
“Fine,” Steve replied, stopping to think for a moment. “Bears are pretty cool.”  
“Next question: what is your Hogwarts house.”  
“Oh, that’s easy. I bet I could name every single one of us in the room!” Ophelia laughed, knowing the fandom of Harry Potter all too well.  
“Do it!” Darcy yelled.  
“Okay. First off, I am a hardcore Hufflepuff- there’s no doubt about that. So is Clint, and Darcy too. Natasha, Bruce, and Jane are Ravenclaws, no doubt. Bucky is either a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor, Tony is a Slytherin, and Steve would either be a Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or a Slytherin. I’m not sure about him.”  
“Wow,” Jane said, “Did she nail you guys like she did for me?”  
There was a chorus of ‘yes’s throughout the entire room. Tony was the first to question her. “What, were these facts well known in your universe?”  
“Nah,” Ophelia said, snuggling into Bucky’s side, “I’m just really good as sorting people. I was a hardcore Harry Potter fan when I was a kid. Still am.”  
“Oh!” Steve exclaimed, realization dawning on his face, “Wasn’t that the movie series that you were showing Bucky and I the other day?”  
“Yes Steve, yes it was.”  
“Wait- why weren’t you sure which house I belonged in?” Steve asked curiously.  
Ophelia sighed. “Well, you are certainly very kind, honest and honorable, not to mention that your loyalty knows no bounds- that suggests Hufflepuff. You are brave and loyal- that suggests Gryffindor. But, you are also smart, cunning and resourceful which suggests Slytherin. So I really have no clue.”  
“I would have pegged him as more of a Gryffindor.” Said Clint as he looked Steve over.  
“Eh, there’s always a chance that he could belong to Hufflepuff,” Darcy put in while shrugging. “But I could be totally biased on that one. ’Puff pride for the win!”   
Ophelia jumped out of her seat to give Darcy a high five, Clint joining in only a second later.  
“Hufflepuff is the best house!” He said as his hand collided with Ophelia’s. The three of them smiled at each other, proud of their house placement.  
“Hey, Slytherin is the best for sure!” Tony protested with passion. “Quick, Cap, say you’re a Slytherin. Then we will definitely be the best house.”  
Steve pretended to look deep in thought for a moment before saying, “Eh, I think I’m more of a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor-” He threw an arm around Bucky, “Loyalty is kind of my thing.”  
After a moment of silence, Bucky asked why she wasn’t sure what house he was. Ophelia was the one that answered. “To me you really belong in either Hufflepuff or Gryffindor, and I really can’t decide. But I may be too close to the situation.”  
“I think he’s more of a Gryffindor, to be quite honest. He has quite a lot of bravery and valor.” Natasha pointed out from her seat next to Clint.  
“I can see him as a Hufflepuff though. I mean, always taking care of Steve, looking after his family, refusing to leave without Steve when he was rescued- it is a good possibility that he is a Hufflepuff.” Darcy added, since she knew the house quite well already.  
“Are you serious?” Tony asked.  
“No Harry, I’m Darcy.”  
Giggles erupted from around the room, smiles on all of their faces. Well, all except Tony. He just seemed done with the group. “What I was saying was that there’s no way that cyborg here is a Hufflepuff.”  
“You’re just mad he’s not a Slytherin, Tony.” Ophelia replied with a smirk. “Though I suppose it’s not your fault that you’re the only Slytherin here.”  
“To be fair,” Natasha started with a sigh, “I was pretty evenly split in between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Better Tony?”  
“Better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	25. Self Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls teach Steve and Bucky about modern day topics such as bullying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I personally love this chapter (though it took forever to write) because we get to see the relationship between Darcy, Jane and Ophelia. I love that trio, I really do.   
> Also, I wanted to show that Steve, being the adorably kind and considerate person that he is, would want to use his status as an american icon to help the public with topics such a bullying.

Ophelia woke to a warm body cuddling closer into her back, bringing a smile to her face. Deciding that it was too early to get up she lost herself in counting the particles of dust shining in the window-filtered sunlight. She laid there for a good ten minutes, perfectly content with the peacefulness in the room.  
“Good morning doll,” The hairs on her back stood up as his breath fanned across her skin. “How long have you been up?”  
“Not too long.” She replied, turning on her other side to look at Bucky. “How about you?”  
“Just woke up.” His voice was gruff and chalky from his night’s sleep, and Ophelia couldn’t help but find the whole thing very cute.  
She glanced at the wall clock over their heads, groaning when she observed the time. “Guess what time it is, just guess.”  
“Seven?”  
“Eight thirty.”  
“Shit.”  
“Yeah,” She sighed, “I know. Does that mean that we have to get up?”  
“I think so, doll, I think so.”  
Ophelia protested, snuggling closer into his firm chest. She smiled into the warmness radiating off of him. “You know what?”  
“What?”  
“Cuddling literally cures depression, relieves anxiety, and strengthens the immune system.”  
Bucky chuckled at her statement. “Oh, does it now?”  
“Yeah,” She huffed, “Why can’t we just stay like this?”  
“Because I’m still trying to figure out how to tell Steve about us, and he’ll know something's up if we are both late for breakfast.”  
“Didn’t he know that you liked me?”  
“Yeah,” Bucky sighed, “Of course he did. He just doesn’t know that we’ve gotten together yet. I’m afraid to see how he’ll react.”  
“Why do you say that?”  
“It’s one thing to say you think your friend’s adopted little sister is cute, but it’s another thing to actually pursue the crush.” She just nodded with understanding into his chest.  
He started to lift his body off of the bed a moment later, leaving Ophelia groaning into the sheets. “Why do you have to be such an early riser?”  
“It’s hardly early, doll. Nowhere near when the rest of the team wakes up.” His movements were slower as he walked around the room, gathering his clothes to wear for the day. He decided that a simple grey long-sleeve shirt with dark jeans would suffice.  
Ophelia took one last sniff of the Bucky-scented sheets before she rolled off of the bed and onto the floor. She landed ungracefully with an ‘oof’ before standing up. Brushing herself off she looked over at her lover curiously. “What do you have planned for the day? It is Sunday, after all.”  
“Nothing besides breakfast this morning. Why?”  
Flipping through the stash of clothes she had in his room she replied, “I was just wondering. Maybe we could do something with Jane and Darcy today? I miss hanging out with them.”  
Before Bucky walked into the bathroom to change, allowing her to change in the bedroom, he replied, “Seems like a plan.”  
She couldn’t hide her smile as she pulled her pyjama top over her head.  
***  
“Hey Steve! How are you?” Ophelia asked before jumping onto the kitchen island. Steve smiled as she and Bucky made themselves comfortable, his hands busy making breakfast.  
“I’m good. I slept pretty well. How about you guys?”  
If his back were not turned, Steve would have seen both Ophelia and Bucky’s backs stiffen for a moment before they both regained composure. Luckily for them, his back was safely turned.  
“I don’t know about you, Ophelia, but I must have had the best sleep I’ve had in years.”  
Steve’s head turned towards Bucky, looking him up and down. Bucky did look well rested. “That’s great Buck! I’m glad you’ve been sleeping better lately. How about you Ophelia?”  
“I slept pretty well. I didn’t want to get out of bed though.”  
“Do you ever?” Steve asked with a chuckle.  
She rolled her eyes. “No, but my statement still stands.”  
“Okay Ophelia. Whatever you say.” Steve said, smiling down at her. She just shrugged and started to pick pancakes off of the pile Steve had made so far. Bucky did the same. Steve finished making the last pancake not too long after, taking a large pile for himself to eat.  
The three moved to the table to eat, after smothering their pancakes with syrup of course. It was mostly silent, all of them too busy enjoying the food to talk. Ophelia finished first, being the resident fast eater, as the two boys were still used to taking their time with eating. (The did grow up with little food, after all. They took their sweet time eating, instead of inhaling the food like some people- Ophelia- did.)  
Grinning at her full stomach, Ophelia got up from the table and started to run the sink’s water, waiting for it to turn warm. Steve finished next, but when he offered to help her with the dishes, she and Bucky both groaned.  
“Steve, the cook does not wash the dishes!” Ophelia said, shooing him away from the kitchen. He sighed dejectedly, making his way over to the couch.  
Bucky finished next, placing his plate on the pile of dirty dishes. “I think I’m going to go down to the gym for a bit since I missed my morning run. That okay with you guys?” He asked as he shoved his feet into his sneakers.  
“Yep!” Steve shouted from the couch.  
“Yeah- have fun!” Ophelia said, giving him a wave from her place washing dishes at the sink. He sent her a soft smile before walking out the door, shutting it quietly behind himself.  
“You sure that I can’t help with the dishes Ophelia?”  
“Steve, I’ve told you a thousand times- the cook must not wash the dishes!”  
“What if I dry?”  
She mulled it over for a moment. “Fine. But that’s it. Promise?”  
He smiled at her as he took a towel out of its respective drawer. “Promise.”  
The pair spent a good ten minutes cleaning the buildup of dishes that were left over in the sink from past meals. They talked about their daily findings and adventures, entertaining the other with their perspective of the day’s events.  
“There’s no way that happened!”  
“No,” Steve replied, “I’m telling you- we really did catch Clint singing It’s A Small World to himself on the comms once. He was cleaning out his car and forgot to take the earpiece out!”  
They both giggled at the randomness of their friend, the thought of his antics too funny for them to handle. By that time Ophelia was down to the last plate in the sink. “Here, why don’t you take a seat on the couch while I finish this up? I’ll be there in a minute.”  
He peeked into the sink, only nodding when he realized that she was indeed washing her last dish. “Okay.”   
She quickly scrubbed the baby blue plate, careful to leave no scraps behind. She smiled to herself, proud of her accomplishment, as she wiped it down with the cloth Steve had been using. “There, all done!”  
After placing the dish in its corresponding cabinet she washed out the sink, making sure that none of the muck was still at the bottom. “Hey Steve, want another cup of coffee?”  
“Oh,” He looked over to her, “You really don’t have to Ophelia.”  
She waved him off, “I want to. It would be my genuine pleasure.”  
“Okay then. You know how I like it.” She did. And after two minutes waiting for the drink to brew, she got herself a cup of water (she only drank coffee when it was absolutely necessary). Spinning on her heel, she made her way over to the couch, a certain lightness in her eyes.  
“Ophelia, why are you so nice?” Steve asked as she sat down next to him, handing him his favorite cup of coffee while holding her water in the other.  
She just smiled. “I’ve always found that it’s easier and better for one to be kind. Kindness literally costs nothing. You could be dirt poor and still have kindness- it’s sort of like the big constant in my life.”  
“But why be so kind when the world is so cruel?”  
“Steve, I’m a firm believer that what goes around comes around. If you are kind and good to the world, the world will generally be kind back. But that’s not why I’m nice though. That’s more of an added bonus if anything.”  
“Then what’s your real reason for being so kind?”  
“Everyone deserves a little kindness. It makes them happier- brighter, even. And I love making people happy. Always have, always will.”  
Steve smiled at her content expression as she spoke. “Are you happy?”  
She thought of Bucky, then of him all of her newfound friends. “Yes, Steve, yes I am.”  
“I thought so.” He said, before a pensive look took over his face. It was a minute before he spoke again. “So I take that you and Bucky got together?”  
Ophelia nearly spat out her water. Instead, the water went down wrong, leading her to start a coughing fit. Steve went to help her, but she held her hand up as she finished coughing. “I’m okay Just, um, how did you know that?”  
“I may have been asleep for seventy years, but I’m not now. I see how the two of you look at each other.”  
“And you’re okay with that?”  
“Of course. I’m just a bit upset that the two of you didn’t tell me sooner.”  
“Oh, Steve,” She said, placing a hand on his shoulder, “We were going to tell you- we just didn’t know how.”  
“Eh, it’s okay.” He replied, looking into his coffee. “There was one thing that confused me a bit, though.”  
“What is it?”  
Steve blushed, not looking up to meet her eyes. “It’s just, I could have sworn that you were… into girls?”  
She couldn’t hold in the laugh that bubbled up when he spoke. “Oh,” She giggled, “That’s what was bothering you?”  
“Don’t laugh at me! It’s a valid question!”  
She shook her head, trying to swallow the rest of her laughs. “No, it’s just that I was not expecting you to ask that.”  
He just shrugged. “I was just wondering.”  
Sobering up, finally, she replied. “It’s called bisexuality, Steve. You should try it sometime.” She thought of the way he looked at Sam and grinned.  
***  
“Okay, I’m on my period. I want- no, demand cuddles!” Darcy exclaimed, walking into the room. Ophelia and Jane turned from the common room’s tv to beckon their friend over.  
“Come on then!” Ophelia called.  
“We’re waiting. We already queued up your favorite episodes of Parks and Recreation.”  
“You guys are the best.”  
***  
“You guys know that Bucky and I are a thing, right?”  
“Yeah, duh,” Darcy replied, scooping a piece of ice cream out of her designated tub of cookie dough. “It’s pretty obvious.”  
Ophelia cocked her head. “How so?”  
“The two of you have always been close- we noticed that in the beginning. But now it just seems like you both are happier. Like some problem between you two was resolved.” Jane responded, eating a scoop of her chocolate chunk.  
“How did the two of you become a thing, anyways?”  
Ophelia thought it over in her head for a moment. “Well, I had always hated that no one has the patience to deal with someone who is sad. This has kicked in at several points of my life- when my childhood friend was depressed, when my mom got her cancer, when another one one of my friends was suicidal- and it kicked in again when I met Bucky. I knew he needed help, so I decided to help him through his traumas. Eventually, I became the light to his dark, and we just kept on getting closer. That continued right up until the other night, when we realized that life was better with each other in it. We confessed that somewhere along the way we developed feelings for one another, and that was that.”  
It was silent for a moment between the three girls. “The other night you say? Does that mean what I think it means?” Darcy wiggled her eyebrows, a grin on her face.  
Jane groaned at her friend while Ophelia just blushed. “No, it wasn’t like that. We slept together, but that was it.”  
Darcy booed playfully. Jane just elbowed her gently in the stomach. “It’s okay Ophelia. You two haven’t even been together for that long. Not that you need to be to do that, but, you know, it’s okay to go slow too.”  
Ophelia gave the scientist a thankful smile. “Thanks. It’s just- I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve never been with anyone romantically, like, ever.”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah. I mean, I’ve had more than my share of crushes and all that, but nothing ever escalated quite to that level.”  
“It’s okay, you know,” Darcy said, wrapping an arm around Ophelia. “Everyone is different when it comes to romance.”  
“Thanks Darce. That means a lot.” Ophelia leaned her head onto Darcy’s shoulder, and the other woman rested her head on top of Ophelia’s. “You know, I’ve never even had my first kiss. But I’m glad that it’s going to be Bucky.”  
“Awww!” “The feels!” Both Jane and Darcy cooed.  
***  
Bucky and Steve joined the girls in the common room a few hours into the girls’ cuddling session. Darcy was sniffling as she watched the tv, her eyes glued to the memorial service they were having for Lil’ Sebastian. “Should I even ask?” Bucky pointed his question towards Ophelia.  
“It’s an emotional episode.”  
The boys just took a seat and waited for the credits to start rolling. Ophelia pressed pause when it happened. “So, what’s up with you guys today?”  
“Nothing much,” Steve said. “Why, what’s up with you guys?”  
“I’m on my period.” Darcy said unabashedly. “They are my cuddle buddies.”  
Steve blushed, not having any experience with ladies on their periods, having been an only child in the conservative forties. Bucky, on the other hand, just asked Darcy if she needed anything.  
“Nothing’s out of the question. Like my Ma always told me, ‘don’t tell someone to get over it; help them through it.’” He said, knowing fully well from his sister that girls needed pampering on their periods.  
“Eh, it’s fine. I have everything I need right here.” She replied, pointing to Jane and Ophelia by her sides.  
Jane just wrapped an arm over Darcy’s shoulders, giving Darcy access to lean her head on her friend. Ophelia, now free from the secrecy part of her relationship, beckoned Bucky over. He quickly strode over to the girls’ couch, planting a kiss on Ophelia’s forehead. “You okay?” He whispered in her ear.  
“I’m good. How are you?”  
“I’m good.”  
“That’s good!” Ophelia giggled into his ear. She felt him smile against the side of her face, which lead her to sport one herself.  
“Okay, Ophelia, Bucky, I love you both,” Darcy said, looking over at the couple next to them. “But please, filter out all the mushy PDA!”  
Both mentioned parties blushed profusely at Darcy’s comment, Ophelia thinking back to their earlier conversation. Bucky leaned back and took a seat by Steve on the next couch over, his cheeks still tinged pink.  
***  
Darcy used the remote to flick through the channels at her will, stopping every once and a while to see if anything worth watching was on. One of the times she stopped a bullying commercial was playing. A bunch of girls were ganging up on a chubbier girl, calling her names and making her cry. The commercial ended with ‘be careful what you say, for everyone is fighting their own fight’.  
“Ugh, kids can be so mean,” She groaned.  
“Tell me about it,” Jane said, no doubt thinking back to all the days she was mocked for being a nerd and a freak.  
“I know, right? I hate it when people are mean.” Ophelia agreed from her spot on the other couch, having moved to sit in between Bucky and Steve.  
“They have PSAs for bullying now?” Steve asked, slightly concerned.  
Ophelia looked up at him, nodding solemnly. “Yeah, it’s gotten pretty bad. Especially with today's problems with mental health issues. It has only been getting worse.”  
“I would have thought that the world would have gotten better with handling bullying over time.”  
Darcy shook her head. “Sadly, no. Not at all. When I was growing up, I was always self concious of my body- especially so during puberty. All the girls were so mean to me, making fun of my weight and breasts. It was horrible. It took a long time for me to reacquaint myself with loving my body.” She said, a sad look on her face.  
“Can I hug you?” Asked Ophelia, feeling an overwhelming urge to be close to her friend. Darcy just opened her arms for the younger woman to jump into.   
Ophelia’s hugs were always warm and comforting, and Darcy snuggled into her friend for a moment. She knew Ophelia cared greatly for her, and the feeling was very mutual.  
Eventually the two split apart, Ophelia going back to Bucky’s side while Darcy returned to Jane’s. “All the girls used to be mean to me growing up, saying that I was anorexic or bulimic. I thought that was really wrong, because who throws around those terms lightly? I was just genetically thin- they were throwing around those terms for fun! Who does that?” Jane asked from her side of the couch. “I never even did anything to them- they just hated on me for being me. Don’t even get me started on the nerd jokes.”  
Ophelia just got up out of her seat and gave the astrophysicist one of her warmest hugs, knowing that just because Jane was skinnier than the lot of them it didn’t mean that she was never criticized about her weight. The hug lasted for almost a minute, as Ophelia was trying her hardest to make sure that Jane knew just how much she cared about her. After it was over she returned back to her seat in between Bucky and Steve once again. She rested her feet in Steve’s lap and rested her head on Bucky’s side, feeling perfectly comfortable between her two favorite boys.  
“I never really fit in when I was growing up. I never fit into any one category or cliche in school which just fueled people’s estrangement to me. When I was little I was made fun of for doing things that boys did, like reading comics and getting dirty outside, and when I was older they criticized me for not being girly enough. To please them I changed my jeans to skirts and my tee shirts to blouses. I really didn’t mind either of them, but I kind of resented the fact that I was dressing for others. It was only in college when I met my lasting friends- the people that I would have spent the rest of my life with.”  
Bucky put his arm around her, bringing her close. He knew that talking about her past life was a sore subject for her, especially due to the fact that she could never go back. Though he would never admit it, he was glad that she came to this world. It was selfish, but after all those years of horrible torture, he’d be damned if he couldn’t be a bit selfish.   
“I’m sorry you girls had to go through that.” Steve said, a solemn look on his face. He never realized just how mean girls could be to each other, let alone in his own time. Their time growing up must have been even worse with the internet to bully with.   
Darcy waved her hand, brushing him off. “It’s fine. More often than not all girls go through that sort of thing.”  
Now Steve just looked surprised. Stunned, even. “You mean this happens on a normal basis?”  
“Yeah,” Jane replied, a neutral expression on her face, “This sort of thing happens to most every girl in the world. It isn’t right, but we can only do so much as outsiders to youth culture. It’s not like we can influence them at this point- we’re not their parents.”  
“But that’s so wrong! No one, girl or boy, should have to go through that sort of… what did you call it the other day?”  
Ophelia was quick to answer him. “Body shaming?”  
“Body shaming. From what you have told me all kids have image issues nowadays and that’s just wrong. We need to do something about that.”  
“I think I might have an idea for you, punk.”  
***  
Ophelia sat in between Steve and Bucky in her plastic chair, waiting anxiously for Steve’s cue to go on. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go over the statistics again?” She asked while jetting her leg up and down.  
Steve gave her a soft smile as he looked down at her anxious self, love for her running through his body. She cared so much about him and he knew it. “I’m fine Ophelia. I’ve done interviews before and they were easy.”  
“That’s because they were giving you the easy questions! They never give you the easy stuff when you bring up something important!” She exclaimed, her hand reaching out to find Bucky’s in her state of panic. “What if you mess up- it will be my fault for letting you go through with this!”  
“Ophelia, honey, I chose to do this myself. Whatever happens from here on out is on me. You have just been supporting me like any friend would. You will not be responsible if anything goes wrong- which it won’t.”  
“Yeah, listen to the punk. He’ll be fine.” Bucky put in, squeezing Ophelia’s hand. She just let out a breathy laugh.   
“When did you guys get so good at consoling me? I thought that was my job?”  
“There’s nothing wrong with helping a friend.” Steve said, quoting her from earlier in the year.  
“Hey, that’s my line!” She faked being mad, but her smile broke through her facade.  
“Steve Rogers?” A tiny slip of a woman walked up to the trip, competence practically oozing off of her.   
Steve immediately stood up, brushing off his jacket unconsciously. “Yes?”  
“You’re on in three. If you will please follow me?” She raised one eyebrow at the man in front of her.  
“Oh, yes, okay.” He said, glancing over his shoulder towards his two best friends. “I’ll see you guys later, okay?”  
“You got this Steve!” Ophelia encouraged at the same time Bucky said,  
“Knock ‘em of their feet, Stevie.”  
The tall blonde just smiled at them before following the woman, readying himself to go on air.  
“You think this will work out well?” Ophelia asked, looking at Bucky.  
“Knowing him, he’ll go down trying.”  
***  
The interview was about halfway over when Steve finally got the floor. “It has come to my attention that there was a reason behind you going on air today, Captain Rogers. What might that be?” The interviewer asked.  
Steve let out a small breath of air, mentally preparing himself for his speech. “I have recently become aware of certain cultural shifts since the time that I was a kid. Or, rather, the lack of one. When I was a child, sickly and small, I was regularly beat up and made fun of. Kids were allowed to be mean to one another and apparently they still are. What I want to know is why, in the seventy plus years that I have missed, has there not been a change in this culture among children?”  
The interviewer just chuckled condescendingly at Steve. “Well, we all know that kids will be kids. It’s nothing more than that.”  
Steve resisted rolling his eyes at this demeaning comment. “No, that’s really not the case. And I’ll tell you why- there is a culture in domestic settings that children are allowed to act mean and unkind towards one another just for the sake of them being kids. Their actions are justified for the sole purpose of their naivety, which is completely wrong. Adults have no problem punishing their children when they are interrupting or disrespecting their parents, yet they have not a care in the world when it comes to children disrespecting children. Why do we allow this feeling of general unkindness to manifest between children? It is just setting the younger generation up for disaster.”  
The studio audience clapped for Steve, knowing fully well that he was right. The interviewer just looked appalled. Just outside the set, Bucky and Ophelia were watching their friend, smiling widely.  
***  
Ophelia cuddled into Bucky’s side, enjoying the warmth that he emitted. The duo had just finished watching a rerun of Steve’s interview, as already a week had gone by since it happened. “Hey Buck?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Can I kiss you?”  
He was silent for a moment. “We haven’t kissed yet, have we?”  
“No, but I think I’m ready to.”  
“You sure?” He knew that she was inexperienced in the romance department, and he was more than willing to wait until she was ready.  
“Yeah.”  
She sat up as he did, both of them turning to face each other. He glanced at her lips for a moment, the corners of his own perking up into a smile. She gently took his face in both of her soft hands, her eyes never leaving his. She slowly leaned in, her heartbeat picking up as she grew closer and closer. Finally, like two stars colliding, their lips met, causing a supernova of feeling.   
His lips, soft against hers, guided her through the kiss. His hands came up, threading his fingers through her hair soothingly as their lips moved together. Eventually they broke apart, both of them a bit out of breath.  
“Wow,” Ophelia sighed, “So that’s what I’ve been missing all these years.”  
“Yeah,” He sighed back before realizing what she said. “Wait- was that your first, first kiss?”  
Ophelia giggled a bit, still enjoying the euphoria of their kiss. She settled down after a moment, her mouth resting with a large smile. “Yeah, it was. Did you not know that?”  
“I knew you were inexperienced, but I didn’t know you hadn’t had your first kiss.”  
“Oh, well you know what? I think we might just have to fix that.”  
“What?”  
“The inexperience, Bucky. Damn it, I was trying to be smooth.”  
“Oh,” He laughed, “Well then let’s.”  
And then their lips came together again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! Please, please, please comment or leave kudos. I want to see that you guys are enjoying the story!  
> I hope you all are having a lovely day!


	26. Building Forts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ophelia and Bucky build a kick-ass blanket fort and Bucky tells Ophelia that he loves her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, this chapter may seem like more of a filler, but it's really not. Some more important topics are discussed, so pay attention!

“I still can’t believe you did that interview, Steve.” Bucky said, looking over at his friend. The duo was lounging on one of the common room couches in the early hours of the morning, watching Parks and Recreation.   
Steve shrugged. “I just want to make a difference. Kids don’t deserve to go through things like that, and the least I could do would be to use my status to influence them. No child could say no to Captain America.”  
“That’s a good thing to do, Steve. I’m sure that it will help.”  
“Thanks Buck.”  
They both turned their attention back to their tvs, both sporting smiles as they watched the wedding of Leslie and Ben.  
“You’re thinking of her, aren’t you?” Steve asked without looking away from the screen.  
“What?”  
“You always smile whenever you think of her,” Steve said, grunting as he threw his next punch. “Face it: you really like her.”  
Bucky was silent for a moment, staring down at his hands, deep in his thoughts. “You know what Steve?”  
“What?” Steve smiled, already knowing- or hoping, at the very least- where this was going.   
Bucky finally looked up to meet Steve’s gaze. A smile broke his stoic face. “I think I’m in love with her.”  
***  
Clint, exhausted and dirty, entered the communal kitchen with one thing in mind: marshmallows. He had just arrived back from a long mission and he’d be damned if he wasn’t allowed to enjoy his favorite treat. Opening the corresponding cupboard he grabbed the large bag of sugary goodness, not bothering to look around to see if anyone was with him. He blissfully walked over to the kitchen table, plopping down on the nearest chair’s white fabric. (Tony could have the furniture cleaned later. Clint was too tired to care.) He smiled at the bag, happiness taking over his body as he took in the glorious sight of the snack. That was, of course, until the bag was snatched out of his hands by a shiny arm.  
“Barnes!” He yelled, his vision turning red. He was too old for this shit, and goddamn it- those were his marshmallows!  
Clint just heard giggling as the other man sprinted out of the room. “Nobody controls me anymore!” Bucky yelled, running down the hall and out of sight.  
“I don’t get paid enough for this shit.”  
***  
Ophelia smiled to herself as she dropped the string of lights she was holding onto the carpet. Earlier Bucky had said that he wanted to do something special, so she (naturally) suggested to build a fort. He responded enthusiastically and the pair of them ran to their apartments, gathering as many blankets and pillows as they could possibly carry. They ran back and forth between their apartments and the common room, collecting their supplies and depositing them in the center of the communal couches.  
Bucky had finished first, deciding that he would start the building process. Before the two of them knew it, they were almost done with the massive, expansive fort. Bucky said that he would get some snacks from his apartment while Ophelia would get some old strings of christmas lights from storage. Judging by the pile of snacks that laid at the entrance of the fort, Bucky had made several trips to and from his room. However, he wasn’t in sight so Ophelia just grinned at their masterpiece and continued to thread the small lights throughout the entire setup.  
As she made her way through the maze of blankets and pillows, Ophelia started to think- really think- about Bucky. For the longest time she had made it her duty to help the hurt; fix the fallen apart; kiss the kindred spirits- so it was only a matter of time before she came across Bucky’s broken, saddened self, so filled with self-hatred that it emitted off of his body. After all, her motto was ‘love others so radically that they’ll wonder why.’ Eventually, somewhere along the way of making Bucky better again, she had realized that the loving bond between them had turned into something more than what friends would share.   
For a moment she paused from her work, looking down at the small lights as she wondered what exactly Bucky meant to her. The more time she spent with him and her friends, the less time she spent thinking of what things were like back home. Sure, she definitely missed her mother and old friends, her old home and odd jobs she took to make ends meet, but the depressed feeling she usually got when thinking about them was now muted. It hurt less, more like a pink scar than an open wound. And she owed all of that to her friends, to him. As she fixed them, they slowly fixed her hurt.  
So, what did Bucky mean to her? He was her medicine, the thing that made her feel good when everything was going to shit. He was what grounded her when she had her nightmares of her Hydra run-ins. He held her tight and refused to let go when she was so overwhelmed with nostalgia of her old life, making sure that she would end up okay at the end of the day. He was no missing puzzle piece- because she was a whole person goddamnit! - but he did fit to her like one. He was the best partner she could ever ask for- the yang to her yin.  
“Ophelia? Doll? You in there?” She was jostled out of her loving thoughts when Bucky entered the room, looking down at all the blankets with a (presumed) puzzled look on his face.  
“Yes dear, I’m almost done fixing up the lights.” She quickly hung up the last couple of strings, smiling when she saw the finished product.   
“Are you coming out or am I coming in?”  
“I’ll give you three guesses,” She laughed, knowing he would know her answer.  
“Okay, I’m coming in.” She turned around and made her way towards the front of the fort, grinning when she saw Bucky’s face softly illuminated by the small yellowed lights.  
“Is this good?” She asked, sitting down as he settled himself and the snacks on the rug. They sat in the largest room in the fort, their heads not even close to touching the blanket ceiling.  
He smiled at her, “It’s better than good.” She leaned her head on his shoulder, her soft smile widening as he continued. “It’s perfect.”  
“Well,” She replied, “I’m glad I suggested to build a blanket fort today.” Bucky placed an arm around her shoulders, his thumb caressing her arm lightly.  
“It made me happy,” He said, looking down at her. “You make me happy.”  
“Anything to make you happy Buck. Anything.” She leaned up a little, just enough to make her lips meet his. In the weeks since the first time they kissed, they had been having a lot of practice. To be quite truthful, there hadn’t been much time when they weren’t kissing- from kissing passionately late at night to peppered kisses when they woke up, from quick greeting kisses to sharing quick pecks on the cheek before parting, their mouths always seemed to collide.  
Their mouths moved against one another, moving from an innocent showing of affection to something much more intimate. His tongue poked at her closed lips, asking for entrance, and she quickly parted them. He wasted no time exploring the inside of her mouth, his tongue meeting hers for a passionate fight. Her mind turned to mush as he continued to make out with her, setting off thousands of explosions in her brain. She could think of nothing but the sweet taste of Bucky and how perfectly his mouth fit with her own. Nothing else seemed to matter- only her and Bucky in their own little world.  
Or, at least until she ran out of air. Ophelia fell back onto her hands, a gasp for air leaving her lips. After taking a moment to collect herself, she ran her fingers through her hair. “Wow,” She said, taking him in, “and you’re not even winded? Damn your super soldier stamina!”  
He just smirked at her before wiggling his eyebrows. “Yeah- the serum didn’t just modify my lungs, you know.”  
She rolled her eyes before pushing him away, a laugh bubbling up from her throat. “Shut it you weirdo.”  
“You know you love me,” He joked.  
“Well, how could I not?” She joked back.  
“I don’t know,” He replied before using a hand to fake fan himself. “I mean- how could anyone resist this?”  
Ophelia giggled at his silliness, noting just how far he had progressed from the man he used to be at the back of her mind. (Now was not the time to start all that sentimental stuff- it would be a shame to ruin the good mood they had going for them.) “I don’t know Buck, I don’t know.”  
He let out one last laugh while letting himself gaze down at her with love and adoration one more time before moving his gaze over to the pile of treats in front of them. “You hungry?”  
“What do we have?”   
“Pretzels, chips- blue and potato, dip, some cookies, those brownies you made for me the other day, m&ms and, last but not least, carrots and celery.”  
“Thank you for getting the mandatory two healthy snacks.” She said, rolling her eyes.  
“Well, Steve would be annoyed if we didn’t.” Yes, Steve did try to urge them to eat healthier, wrangling the residents of the tower away from the candy that Tony always had stoked. That, of course, left more for him- that hypocrite.  
“True, true,” She replied, nodding her head. Her eyes wandered over the mountain of junk food that Bucky had gathered, widening when she spied the marshmallows. “Where in the everloving hell did you get those? I thought Clint had them hidden somewhere in the kitchen!”  
Bucky smirked, “I found a way- I always do, don’t I?”  
She kissed him again. “Yes, yes you do.”  
***  
Ophelia laid on her stomach next to Bucky, contentment running through her body as they both watched nostalgic movies. The first movie they watched was Beauty and the Beast (It was our first movie as a couple, Ophelia!), followed by Tangled (It’s my favorite movie, Buck!) and Lilo and Stitch (Ohana means family, goddamnit!). The credits were just starting to roll after the last scene of Lilo and Stitch when they started to speak.  
“You’re my ohana, Buck.” Ophelia said, a goofy smile on her face.  
“You sure did make sure of that,” He replied with a nod. “Ophelia, you forced your way into my life, you never went away even when I told you to leave me alone, you would barge into my apartment whenever you suspected I was sad,”   
The tips of her lips edged upwards, betraying her otherwise annoyed expression. “I don’t regret it, Buck, if that’s what you want me to-”  
“Let me finish.”  
“Okay.”  
“And I’d never have it any other way. Yes, you forced your way into my life, but you’ve also made it better in every single way. And for that, I am eternally grateful.”  
Now she was smiling, looking up at him from under her lashes. “You really think so?”  
“Oh, doll,” He replied, resting his hands on her shoulders, “I know so.”  
And then her lips were on his.  
***  
The two of them were cuddling now, enjoying each other's embrace as they gazed up at the christmas lights.  
“Hey, Ophelia?”  
“What’s up Buck?”  
“I just want you to know that I love you. You don’t have to say it back- I just want you to know.”  
She giggled a bit before covering her mouth with her hand. “Thanks silly- of course I love you too. But what brought this on?”  
“I don’t know exactly. Sometimes I hear this voice reminding me to be thankful for what I have and to tell those I love that I love them. It kind of sounds like you, actually, now that I think about it.”  
A smile grew on her face, gracing her features. “It seems like something I would say,” She admitted, looking up at him. “Doesn’t it?”  
“Yeah, it does.” He agreed with a nod. “But, before we take this any further, I just want you to know that I’m not sure how good I am at this anymore.”  
“What?”  
“You know- this. Relationships.”  
Ophelia sat up, propping herself up with one hand, allowing her to look down at Bucky and caress his face with the other. “Bucky, you’re fine. We’ve literally been in a relationship for over a month and a half now. We’ve known each other for well over a year. At no time have you ever led me to believe that you have mad skills with the ladies.”  
“But that’s what all the books say.” He protested, sitting up next to her. “They say that I was some sort of suave ladykiller, and I’m just not sure I can be like that.”  
“Bucky, you have more than enough charm for me.” She chuckled, recalling all the times Bucky had snuck in little pick up lines into their normal conversations for fun. “You just being you is enough.”  
“You really think so?” He asked, and in that moment his face had never looked more vulnerable. That was when she knew that he was it for her. She was going to spend the rest of her life making this man feel better, showing him love and affection because she loved him goddamnit.  
“Of course Buck. You never relearned how to love, and that’s okay. That’s something we can work through. Together.”  
“Really?” He asked, looking her in the eyes. A small smile was growing on his face, relief running through his body as he realized that she wasn’t expecting any more from him than he was willing to give.  
“Sometimes you just need someone to tell you that you aren’t as bad as you think you are. I will always be willing to be that person.”  
“God,” He said, “I love you so much.”  
***  
Steve snuck into the kitchen in the very late hours of the night, tiptoeing past the fort set up in the common room. He carefully opened up a cabinet, a smile forming on his face when his eyes landed on the box of lucky charms. He grabbed it and quietly closed the cabinet door, turning on his heel to leave when a voice called out in the dark.  
“Are those my lucky charms?” Clint dropped down from the nearest vent, a tired look on his face. He had been having a rough night of Loki nightmares and there was no way in hell that he would be deprived of his comfort food.  
Steve’s eyes widened at the older man, making it clear that he was hoping that no one would catch him. He was wrong.   
“Well, are they?” Clint asked.  
“Steve, just give him the damn cereal!” Ophelia whispered from the other room, unamused.  
“What?” Steve exclaimed quietly, “I got them first!”  
“Punk, just give him the lucky charms. You can have the box from my room.” Bucky said, waking up from his slumber next to Ophelia.  
Steve groaned. “Fine. Here, Clint.” He handed the box over grumpily before turning away, beginning his walk to Bucky’s apartment.  
“Damn right!” Clint nodded to himself. These were his lucky charms and no one could tell him otherwise.  
“Goodnight Clint!” Ophelia called from the common room.  
“Yeah, goodnight birdbrain.” Bucky added.  
“Night guys.” With that, Clint threw the box into the vent and climbed in after it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EEK! Bucky tells Ophelia that he loves her!!!  
> God, I ship it so incredibly much.  
> Be prepared for angst in the next chapter!  
> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	27. Close Calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the tower is infiltrated, again, Steve and Ophelia get deep, and our current power couple has a serious talk about love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for a hit in the feels, and to be jealous beyond belief. Damn, Ophelia, why can't I be you?

“Hey Steve?”  
Steve looked down at Ophelia, who was cradled into his side. Bucky was spending the day in Tony’s lab, and she was too anxious to be alone. Steve was glad to be at her side, helping her through this. After all, she wasn’t the only one anxious about Bucky’s wellbeing. “Yeah?”  
“I’m going to ask you something. You don’t have to answer me- that’s totally up to you. I’m just curious.”  
He straightened up a bit, mentally preparing himself for whatever was about to come out of her mout. Ophelia didn’t tend to hold herself back from asking inappropriate questions, so he had a right to be nervous. “What is it?”  
“Were you and Bucky ever… a thing?”  
Steve tensed, and Ophelia immediately regretted asking. She moved away from his side, horrified that she had just asked such a personal, private question. “I’m so sorry Steve, I shouldn’t have asked, I’ll just let myself out now,” She shakily got up off of the couch, backing away slowly. “Again, I am so sorry for breaching your privacy and asking you this. It’s none of my business, like, at all.”  
Ophelia turned away quickly and restrained herself from sprinting out of the room, settling for a fast walk instead. She made it to the door by the time Steve gathered himself enough to speak. “We were.”  
Her hand shot back from the doorknob as if it scalded her. Was he really going to tell her the details of his past relationship with her boyfriend? She knew that she asked, but it was more out of a dormant curiosity than anything. She half didn’t even expect it to be true.  
“Before the war started,” Steve started, not daring to look back to see her widened eyes. “Bucky and I were close. Closer than brothers- closer than comrades. We had something that was considered wrong in our time, so we never really had a chance to do much that wasn’t behind closed doors. All of our peers thought that we were just two bachelors waiting for a woman- and maybe we were, but not in the way that they thought.”  
Ophelia slowly made her way back to Steve’s couch, taking a seat a careful distance away from him. “Steve, you don’t have to tell me this if you don’t want to,” She said, remorse on her face, “I don’t even know why I asked. I’m so sorry for invading your privacy.”  
She closed her eyes, expecting for him to agree and for him to kick her out of his apartment. She certainly was deserving of it, in her opinion. Instead, her eyes shot open when a warm hand rested itself on her shoulder. “Ophelia, don’t worry about it.” He gave her a soft smile. “You’re my best gal- I should have told you sooner. I was just taken by surprise when you asked.”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah,” He replied, pulling her in for a warm hug. “I don’t like to keep things from you, but I just wasn’t sure if you wanted to hear about this. I’m sorry for not talking about this with you sooner.”  
“How could you possibly be sorry?” She asked as she leaned away, slightly appalled by his words. “You had no obligation to tell me anything.”  
“You’re saying that like you mean nothing to me, Ophelia. You matter to me and I care about you; I would never hide anything from you. You and Buck- you two mean the world to me.”  
“You really think that about me?”  
“Of course. You cared about my mental health when no one else did, you cared about me when I didn’t care about myself- you just care. How could I not care about you back?”  
Ophelia shook her head, looking down shamefully. “I never really thought about it that way,” She replied, “I just sort of throw myself into caring for others, and it’s hard for me to realize when the feeling is reciprocated.”  
“Well, we’ll just have to change that, won’t we?”   
They both smiled at each other for a moment, just happy to be in each other’s company. “Yeah, I guess we will.”  
***  
Ophelia was in the middle of laughing at a story that Steve was telling about Bucky when the alarms went off. She went rigid, her heart nearly stopping as the familiar sound echoed throughout the tower. Was Hydra here? Were they coming for her again? She blinked back tears as her mind went over all the different possibilities.   
Steve, immediately noticing her distress, pulled her in for a fierce hug. Encased in his muscly warmth she was able to breathe normally again, allowing her to relax her body.  
They sat like that for a moment longer before she leaned back, giving him a nod to let him know that she was alright. Steve took that as his cue to pull out his cell phone, quickly dialing the number for Tony’s lab. The man in question picked up after the first ring. Though the alarm was still blaring, Ophelia could still pick out the words exchanged between the two men.  
“Tony?”  
“Steve?”  
“What’s going on?”  
“I don’t know. Jarvis has been hacked and he can’t relay any information to me.”  
“Do we at least know who is in the tower?”  
“Jarvis thinks that it’s Hydra. He was able to identify one of them men as Brock Rumlow.”  
Steve was silent for a moment, anger making its way onto his otherwise schooled features.  
“Cap? You there?”  
Ophelia, guessing that Steve needed a moment to collect himself, snatched the phone from his hand. “Tony?”  
“Hamlet? Where’s Steve?”  
“He needs a moment. What can you tell us?”  
“They are coming from the bottom up- I’m guessing that they’re trying to get to the residential levels. I would at the very least get up to the common floor; it’s one of the highest and hardest to access. All the labs are shutting down so it will take a bit more time for Bucky and myself to get to the two of you.”  
Ophelia nodded her head as Tony spoke, a hard look settling on her face. “Okay, we can do that. We’ll see you soon, okay?”  
“See you in five Hamlet.”  
With that, the phone was hung up. Ophelia wasted no time grabbing Steve’s hand, beginning to haul him towards the front door. Steve, shaking himself out of his temporary haze, looked down at her.  
“Where do we need to go?”  
“Tony says that the common floor is the highest and hardest for them to access; it’s our best bet at the moment.” She replied, opening the door and looking both ways down the hallway. When she deemed it as clear she tugged his hand and they started running towards the stairwell.  
“Okay, was there anything else that he said?” Steve asked as he opened the stairwell door. After checking that it was safe, he let her pass him and together they started to make their way up to the common floor.  
“The labs are locking down so it will take him and Bucky a bit longer to get to us. In the meantime we should avoid the residential levels.”  
“Okay. Let’s wait for them in the common room.”  
Ophelia gasped as a certain someone flashed in her mind. “Wait, Sam just got back. I think he’s still in his apartment.” She said, halting her run up the stairs. “We need to go back for him.”  
Steve quickly grabbed her hand and made her start running up the stairs again. “We can’t go back- it’s too risky. Besides, he can handle himself. You on the other hand- I can’t risk you getting hurt.”  
“Sam matters too! Can’t you go back and get him while I continue going up?”  
Steve looked down at her exasperatedly, knowing that she wouldn’t budge from her stance until he went back for Sam. He sighed before leaning down to kiss her on the forehead. “Don’t stop running until you get to the common room, you hear me?”  
“Loud and clear.” She replied while giving him a nod. “Now go. Get Sam.”  
The two of them parted their ways quickly, running in opposite directions as fast as their legs could carry them. Before a minute was up Ophelia was already four stories closer to the common floor, but nearly out of breath. However, she urged herself onwards and was at the desired floor in another minute.  
She quickly opened the stairwell door and locked it behind her, feeling a bit more calm once that was out of the way. She was safe. For now.  
Ophelia made her way over to the nearest couch and flopped down on it, her chest heaving up and down with exertion. She was definitely done with cardio for the week. She closed her eyes and tried to dispel any of the negative thoughts that were starting to gather in her head, knowing that they would do no good for her at the moment.  
Ophelia nearly jumped out of her own skin when someone started banging on the stairwell door. That was, of course, until a familiar voice met her ears. “Ophelia, it’s Steve and Sam. Open the door.”  
She scrambled out of her seat on the couch and slammed into the door, her hands shaking as she tried to unlock all the locks as quickly as possible. She quickly swung the door open, allowing Steve and Sam to run through before locking it up again.  
“Nice to see you Ophelia.” Sam said, patting her on the shoulder. “I wish that we’d be seeing each other under different circumstances though.”  
“Sam here,” She said, “But it’s still nice to see you.”  
“All formalities aside,” Steve interjected, rolling his eyes at his polite friends, “Do you know what the fuck is going on?”  
“Language!” Ophelia chimed before covering her mouth, realizing that no one would get the reference yet.  
Steve just rubbed his temples and sighed. “Again, do you know what is going on?”  
“No. Though earlier Tony said that he was making his way up, so we should be seeing him and Bucky soon.”  
“That’s good,” Sam said, “because I have no idea what is going on. God, why does this happen on my first day back?”   
Ophelia gave him a weak smile, “Never a dull moment, am I right?”  
Before Sam could reply, a pounding on the stairwell door started, making Ophelia jump with surprise. There was no time to question who was at the door, because as soon as the banging started a familiar voice began to speak. “Hamlet? Capsicle? You in there?”  
Both Ophelia and Steve groaned at their nicknames before moving to unlock the door, Steve pushing her back instinctively as the door opened. Tony, Natasha, Clint, Bruce and Bucky all filed in, locking the door behind them.  
Bucky immediately made a beeline for Ophelia, giving a nod to Steve as he embraced her. He was glad that Steve was with his girl; he knew that Ophelia still had night terrors about Hydra and he was worried as to how she was taking the current situation.  
He held her close, squeezing her tight as he whispered into her ear, “How are you doll?”  
Ophelia rested her head on his shoulder, trying desperately to tune out the annoying booms of the tower’s alarm. “Trying to forget what’s happening.” She mumbled, “How about you?”  
“I’m just glad you’re safe.”  
“Do you think Tony could turn the alarm off?” She asked quietly, “It probably would be smart to do because then we would hear the intruders coming.”  
Bucky looked down at her for a moment, mulling her words over. Leaning down, he kissed her quickly on the lips before making his way over to Tony to voice her request. The man instantly agreed, asking Jarvis to turn off the alarm immediately. After the request was fulfilled, the room was eerily silent. Ophelia’s eyes roamed around the room, letting her mentally catalogue all of her friends. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but something was missing.  
She froze as two important people came to mind. “Where are Darcy and Jane?”  
Tony waved his hand, dismissing her immediately. “They are safely locked in the labs a few floors down.”  
“But Hydra was able to get through last time!” She protested, not liking the idea of her friends acting like sitting ducks, completely defenseless.  
“With all due respect Hamlet, I don’t think we need to worry about them. I don’t think Hydra is after them today.”  
“Oh,” She said, her arms tightening the hold she had across her waist as she held herself. “I see.”  
Bucky walked back over to her, enveloping her in his arms. “Don’t worry, that’s why we’re all here,” He whispered in her ear, “We’re here to protect you.”  
His grip on her got stronger as footsteps echoed inside the stairwell, making all her friends straighten up with determination. They were not going to let Ophelia get taken today, or any day.  
After the intruders found out that the door was locked a rustling was heard outside the stairwell door, followed by the sound of something mechanical starting up. The sound of metal hitting metal started, turning into a screeching noise as a blade cut through the door.  
“Everyone know what they are doing?” Steve asked, not taking his eyes off of the door.  
“As in the plan, or in general?” Clint asked, a frown on his face.  
“The plan, Clint.” Clint sighed with relief as he nodded with a terse ‘okay’.  
Her friends got into their positions as the screeching sound continued, the blade slowly cutting a hole in the door. Steve and Tony stood in front, Tony wearing his mobile suit after he handed Steve his shield (that was previously in the lab for a repainting). Natasha and Clint stood to their sides, Natasha’s legs apart in a battle ready stance while Clint had his spare bow in hand. Bruce was standing in front of Bucky and Ophelia, hands clenching and unclenching at the thought of the Hydra agents getting a hold of Ophelia. They would never get her- not on his watch. He had too much paternal love for the girl for the intruders to even have a chance.  
Bucky, the last of her friends to stand guarding her, had her safely tucked away behind his back. His metal hand was held up in a fist, ready to fight while his right hand held hers. Ophelia shivered as the saw cutting through the door made a complete circle, allowing the rounded piece of metal fall into the entrance of the common room. Behind the hole stood at least ten men- all standing behind a familiar face. Brock Rumlow.   
“What are you doing here?” Steve growled, his eyes narrowed at the man across from him.  
“We’re here for the girl,” Romlow answered lazily, “and we’re not taking no for an answer.”  
“And you think that we’ll just hand her over?” Tony asked, rolling his eyes.  
“No, we think that you’ll exchange her for two of your own.” Rumlow turned around and jerked his heads at his accomplices, ordering them to move out of the way. As each agent moved to the side, they revealed two women bound and gagged- Jane and Darcy.  
Ophelia held a hand over her mouth, covering her otherwise loud gasp. The stances of Bruce and Clint wavered, and she didn’t doubt that if she weren’t well trained, Natasha would have too.  
“So, what’s it gonna be?” Rumlow continued, stepping through the hole in the door and into the room, “Two for one, or one for all?”  
Ophelia knew that she shouldn’t say anything- that she should stay behind Bucky and stay hidden, but these were her friends. She was not going to let Jane and Darcy get hurt because of her. “Two for one.”  
She stepped out from behind Bucky, shaking her hand out of his grip. At this point, she didn’t care if Rumlow was telling the truth; the chance of having her friends safe was enough for her to sacrifice her safety. “If I come with you, will you let them go?”   
The sick, sadistic man in question smiled at the brunette. “I promise they will be safe.”  
Ophelia shakily made her way past Bucky, who made a strangled noise before shooting a hand out and grabbing her. “No.”  
“Yes, Bucky.”  
“I refuse to allow you to do this.” He replied gruffly, his eyes never leaving Rumlow.  
Rumlow’s eyes narrowed as watched Bucky and Ophelia's exchange. “Ooh, is this the beginnings of love I see?” He chuckled to himself. “And poor Steve is left out of the picture?”  
Tony’s head tilted questioningly, which only seemed to fuel Rumlow’s ego. “Oh, didn’t you know? Barnes and Captain Fairy Pants were a couple back in the day. He told me all about it when he was in the chair. Although, it seems as though Barnes has moved on by the looks of things.”  
Bucky let out a noise similar to a growl at the man while Steve’s frown just deepened. Rumlow cocked his head at this. “Or not? My, my, Ophelia, you certainly have made your rounds.”  
“Don’t talk to her!” Steve yelled, eyes narrowed at the other man.  
“Leave her out of this!” Bucky growled simultaneously.  
Ophelia couldn’t take her eyes away from Jane and Darcy, guilt dangerously coursing through her body. This was her fault. This was her fault, and her’s alone. If she weren’t here, this wouldn’t have happened. This was her fault.  
She wrenched her body out of Bucky’s hold, taking him by surprise. Ophelia wasted no time pushing past Bruce and running to Steve’s side. Looking up at him, she said, “I have to do this. It wouldn’t be right if we did anything else.”  
Steve finally turned away from Rumlow, looking down at her. “Ophelia, I can’t let you do this.”  
She placed a hand on his arm, “You’re not letting me do anything.” She responded, “This is my choice.”  
“Yeah, you heard her Cap. Let the girl do what she wants.” Rumlow mocked, which Steve dismissed with a glare.  
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Steve asked, raising a brow. He knew she was formulating some sort of plan, because let’s face it- she didn’t want to go back to Hydra in any way, shape or form.  
Ophelia turned fully towards Steve, allowing her to send him a wink without Rumlow seeing. “Yeah, I got this. Besides, I can’t let down my friends, right?”  
Steve placed a kiss on her forehead. “Right.”  
With that, Ophelia turned around and stared down Rumlow. “We trade on the count of three, alright?”  
Rumlow looked her over before nodding, signalling for his men to get ready to release the two women.  
Ophelia took the first step towards the Hydra men, “One,”  
The men holding Jane and Darcy pushed them forwards, letting them go on Ophelia’s count of ‘two’.  
“Three!” She shouted, signalling for Jane and Darcy to hit the deck. The three women hit the floor at the same time while their friends started firing their weapons at the Hydra men. She made her way towards Jane and Darcy, pulling their gags off and untying their bonds as fast as she could.  
“You guys okay?”  
“Yeah. Sorry Ophelia, we tried our hardest to fight them off,” Darcy replied solemnly, turning her head to show the large, dark bruise on her temple- Jane had a similar one on her jaw. Ophelia felt a pang of guilt deep within her body, resonating within her very soul. She would have grieved over the harm of her friends, but she had more important things to do at the moment, like getting them to safety.  
Making sure to stay under the line of fire, she led Jane and Darcy over to the unoccupied part of the common room, flipping the coffee table over for cover. She ushered the two women to get behind it, only following them after they were both safe.  
The three of them sat behind the table for a good five minutes, listening to the gunfire, grunts and fistfalls of the fight. Occasionally one of their friends would lean in to check on them, but other than that the only way they knew that their friends were okay were by hearing them call to one another.  
Finally, after another five minutes of torturous sitting, footsteps approached the table. The noises had toned down dramatically in the last few minutes, leaving the women hoping that the fight went in their favor. Surely their friends would have shouted for them to run otherwise?  
Ophelia tried to stay calm as the footsteps drew closer, a relieved sigh escaping her mouth then Bucky appeared in her line of vision. He was frowning at her, but alive nonetheless.  
“Ooh, you’re in trouble,” Darcy whispered as Ophelia stood up, beginning to walk towards her lover.   
“Good luck!” Jane whispered addingly.  
Ophelia waved them off before halting her walk, now chest to chest with Bucky. Blood was dripping from the rim of his brow and there were already a couple bruises starting to form on his face, but she knew that the blood flowing within his veins would surely fix his wounds in no time at all.  
“Are you okay?” He asked gruffly, threading his calloused hands through hers.   
“Yeah, I’m good. You?”  
“I’m fine. Nothing time won’t fix.”  
He leaned down and rested his forehead on her own, letting out a relieved sigh. “God, you scared me doll. But we’ll talk about this later, alright?”  
She nodded, just glad that her best guy was alright. Speaking of best guys…  
“Buck, is everyone alright? Steve?”  
“Right here doll,” Steve replied, walking up behind her to give her a hug. Leaning down close to her ear he whispered, “You scared me too. Please do something like that ever again. Please.”  
“I think all three of us have to have a talk,” She sighed, knowing that both of her boys could hear her, “Okay?”  
“Okay.”  
“Yo! Captain Fairy Pants and Wiener Soldier! Help us clean up with the bodies!”  
Both Steve and Bucky sighed at the nicknames Tony gave them, knowing that hell would freeze over before he let these new names go. “Coming!”  
***  
That night, after all the bodies were were taken care of, all the wounds were cleaned, and all the grime was showered off, the three of them reconvened in Ophelia’s apartment. Bucky arrived first, embracing and kissing her at the door before being allowed in. Steve arrived not long after, freshly showered and rejuvenated.  
“So, who wants to talk first?” Ophelia asked while sitting down in the chair across from the couch the two men sat on.  
Bucky raised his metal hand first, and Ophelia nodded, giving him the floor. “I just wanted to say that what you did, Ophelia, was really dangerous and unsafe and I wish that you didn’t do that.” Steve nodded with agreement, which only fueled Ophelia’s conflicting feelings. Sure, what she had done was dangerous, but it was for a good cause.  
“I’m sorry for scaring you Buck, I really am. But please try to understand my position. Two of my best friends were about to be taken, or worse, by the same people that took me. I would never want them to go through the same things that I went through. Of course I was going to act.”  
“But what if you had gotten hurt Ophelia? How would I be able to live with myself knowing that we weren’t there to save you?”  
“If I get hurt, it will not be your fault.” Her voice was firm and strong, determination in her voice. “You have to understand, if I get hurt it will be no one’s fault but my own. And if it happens protecting someone else, or even you both, it would have been worth it.”  
Bucky groaned into his hands, knowing that she was dead serious. This time his voice was small, as if he was too afraid to say the words out loud. “But what if you died?”  
“Don’t bother worrying about things that won’t happen.”  
“I’m just glad you’re safe,” Steve said, giving in with a soft smile, “I understand why you did what you did, and though it was reckless and unsafe, I would have done the same. Overall, I’m just glad that you’re safe, and here with us.”  
“Yeah, what the punk said.”   
Ophelia smiled at the two men in front of her, just glad that she could be a part of their lives. “Okay, that brings me to the next order of business. Bucky, I love you and you love me, but I know that you also loved Steve.”  
Bucky’s head shot up, giving her his undivided attention. “I know that you two loved each other long before you loved me, just like I know that the reason you never got back together was because you had changed. You thought you were broken, and that you weren’t the same person that Steve loved. You wanted someone to love you for you, and I came along and I did that. But you have to realize that Steve would have done that too. He would love you no matter what- he still does. I can see it in his eyes.”  
Steve shifted in his seat, looking at the ground uncomfortably. Bucky just looked bewildered, like she had just shared life’s most sacred secrets with him. “I know that you loved him, even though he is a different person now. So are you. Can’t you understand that you both, after all this time, still love each other?”  
Bucky slowly looked over at Steve with wide eyes. Carefully, he took Steve’s head in his hands and turned it towards himself, until they were eye to eye. There seemed to be a private, unspoken conversation between the two, and Ophelia was in no position to interrupt it. Then, as if they were two worlds colliding, their lips smashed together and they became one.  
Ophelia smiled to herself, glad that she could finally reunite the two after so many years of being apart. If there were a few traitor tears gathering in the corners of her eyes then, she would never have admitted it. Especially as she turned on her heel and started to walk away, wiping her eyes dry as she left the two most important people in her universe alone in her living room.  
Ophelia nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her name being called. What could they possibly want with her when they had each other?  
“Ophelia, if you think that you are leaving after all of this, you are insane.” Bucky called at her, standing up from his seat on the couch. She just turned around, hoping that he wouldn’t see her red eyes.  
“What?”  
Steve stood up beside Bucky, a honest look in his eyes. “You were the one that helped him realize that he was human again- you were the one that helped me when I was depressed and going crazy looking for him. You were the one that helped us through our sleepless nights, chasing our nightmares away with warm cups of tea and late night philosophical talks. You were willing to do anything to make sure that we got better; how could we not do the same for you?”  
“What do you mean- I, I don’t understand. You two have each other now, isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”  
“Just like people, desires can change. You should know that by now, Ophelia.” Bucky answered, taking a step towards her.  
“Ophelia, if you thought that after all this time, after all that you’ve done, that I wouldn’t love you- you’re wrong.” Steve said.  
Ophelia pushed past the two men, throwing herself down on the couch. She buried her face in her hands, desperately trying to make sense of what was happening.  
“Are you okay doll?” Bucky asked.  
She peeked through the gaps of her fingers, finding that the two men were both kneeling in front of her, concerned looks on their faces. “I’m fine, promise. I just- don’t get it?”  
“What don’t you get?” Steve asked.  
“I know Bucky loves me, and I love Bucky.” She stated, uncovering her face. “But Steve also loves me, and I kinda love Steve?”  
“And Steve and I have always loved each other.” Bucky finished for her.  
“So where does that leave me?” Ophelia was confused- if they both loved each other, where was she supposed to fit in?  
“Ophelia, you were the one that introduced us to the twenty-first century. You reminded us that love is love, no matter what the gender or number.” Steve added, a small smile on his face.  
“So you both- both of you- want… me?” She asked slowly, pointing to herself.  
“If you’ll have us.”  
Now, Ophelia had spent so much time worrying about everyone else that she never had that much time to consider her own feelings. Did she love Bucky? Most definitely. But Steve? The person who had stayed by her side through thick and thin, acted as her best friend since the very beginning? Her closest friend in this universe? Looking at it this way left little room for argument in her.  
Fuck it. Fuck it all.   
“Of course I love you two dorks.” She said, having never felt more happy in her entire life. After all, how was there going to be a downside to loving two of her best friends to the most passionate extent?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I changed this to an OT3 fic. Sue me. Sometimes one person has more than enough love for more than one person. One of these special people is Ophelia.   
> I hope you are having a lovely day!


	28. AUTHORS NOTE (don't worry though)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Important information- just know that updates will resume soon!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick notice for readers: I am coming back very soon.   
> Depending on how my life will play out in the next few weeks, I may have at the very least a lengthy teaser for upcoming parts. Maybe a whole chapter. I'm not sure, but I promise it'll be worth it!

Hi guys!  
Sorry it's been so long! I entered my junior year this fall and it has been really tough. 

I've never said it before on here, but I suffered from pretty severe depression and anxiety, and this year has been one of the worst ones I've had since being diagnosed when I was 12. My medication has always been spotty, but in the past months it seems at though nothing has been working for me. It's a really hard time- it has been for a long time- but I can live with it most of the time. 

On to the good news: even after my last update (long ago), I continued to plan and write and plan some more. I, for the most part, finished up my planning for the rest of the plot of SMTW. I have chapters planned (some a lot more than others), and I have a pretty good idea for how long this story is going to be around 37-38 chapters. This might be changed, but expect quite a few will be coming. 

I have written parts all over the book, some to the point where chapters are almost finished but are lacking a bit in certain areas. 

In addition, I decided very early that this was not going to be a one book deal. I will now tell you how many stories I have planned for the series 

(Drumroll please!) 

This series is going to be a TRILOGY. That's right- three books. Three! I have a rough (very rough) outline for the second book, and quite a few ideas for the third. Personally, I am really really excited to see it play out. There will be ups and definitely downs (please don't hate me), but I PROMISE it will be worth it later!

Another part you might like: as a few of you know, art is a huge part of my life. So, when I haven't had the energy or the will to write, I draw to stay connected to this fic. I will probably post some of the works soon- both those finished and unfinished. Some are better than others, especially since my skill kind of blew up in the last few months and I am really happy about that. Like I never ever try to come close to boasting, but the art is really good. I'm excited to share it with you all!

Thank you for your time, guys. It means a whole lot. This story is a huge deal to me, and I love my characters to death, and I love to see Ophelia with her boys. I hope you do too!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you all are having a lovely day!
> 
> Ps. Please comment and give feedback if you can- even if the comment is small. I can get discouraged, especially when I'm not in a good place, and it really helps to know that people like it and want me to continue. <3


	29. Author's Note- part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! Long time no see!  
> I've got some information I want to share about the fate of this book and this series.

Hi everyone!

I'm so sorry that it's been this long since I last addressed you all. Literally, I think it's been almost a year and a half (?) since I last updated real content, and about a year since I last officially addressed you.  
As I said in the last author's note, I've been struggling with anxiety and depression for five years now. Last year had major highs and lows, which wasn't that great, but it slowly (SLOWLY) started getting better.  
This past summer I especially couldn't update because I had spent a month volunteer-interning on the Cheyenne Sioux River Reservation (A Native American reservation). (Hit me up on tumblr @scarlettsoldier if you want to hear more about this because honestly, I'm so freaking passionate about it!!!) I literally had no free time whatsoever- the second my head finally hit the pillow I'd pass out.  
As for these last few months, I am very proud to say that I've been getting better. After FIVE YEARS of trying countless combinations of medications, after FIVE YEARS of working with my therapist, I've gotten better. Not completely, because I honestly don't think I'll ever be 100% better, but still. This is really fucking huge for me and I'm extremely overjoyed to say this.

Now, for the fate of this story, I have a couple of things to say:  
1\. I have been rewriting this story. Going back to reread this honestly gives me sickening chills because GOD what was sixteen/seventeen-year-old-me THINKING??? Like, I loved it and thought it was good then, but anyone who writes knows the true pain of going back to read old work and the horrific feelings that come with it. So yeah, I've definitely been rewriting. I've redone the dynamics between all the characters, especially Ophelia's relationships with Steve, Bucky, and Tony. I've added like ten chapters of character & relationship development between Ophelia and Steve as they begin their search for Bucky to make their developing relationship more realistic. The same comes with Ophelia and Bucky's relationship. Don't even get me started on Steve and Bucky's relationship. At the beginning of this fic I had no idea it would end up being an OT3, so there were a lot of inconsistencies leading up to the establishment of the triad relationship. So, definitely, there was a LOT of work to be done on that front.  
2\. I won't lie. It's been extremely hard getting back into writing- especially so for this fic. I love all my characters to death and I constantly come up with new headcanons, but for some reason, I cannot physically get anything out of my head and onto the page. It's agonizingly hard, guys. I've been doing my best and trying hard but for some reason, it still feels like a bit of an uphill battle. I'm not giving up on this, though, because I am very truly passionate about this series and my lovely Ophelia, and I would never give up on her or this fic.  
3\. I'm probably going to restart the fic in a new book. I'll still leave this unrevised document here for everyone to read, but I'll probably be restarting in a fresh book. It'll be easier that way. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas for this series, as well as any other things you'd like to say. I love hearing everything you guys write!


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